Slayers: The Painful Mind
by Vivi Laney
Summary: Chap 25 up! FINALLY! AZ & maybe LG & XF. Some people chose to dwell on things. Other's chose to forget. And when Amelia goes missing, the group finds that there are some things that just can't be left alone. Angsty & a bit dark. R&R!
1. Troubled Thoughts

Disclaimer: As you all know, the Slayers characters and world and whatever else from the Slayers I've used, does not belong to me. They belong to their rightful owners. So please don't sue me! I don't get paid for this (oh, how nice that would be). Any other characters belong to me, as does this story. I hope you enjoy it!! It's my first fanfic (and a bit OOC). And though it seems a bit typical, it isn't. Just keep on going, and I know you won't be disappointed.  
  
  
  
  
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**Chapter 1: Troubled Thoughts  
  
  
**

  
  
The sun had set over the horizon hours ago, the sweet air thick with the scent of summer. Trees swayed silently in the soft breeze, as the moon, only a crescent, shone brightly surrounded by twinkling stars, all embedded in the midnight blue and black that weaved the night sky. Everything seemed peaceful.  
  
High above the sleeping city of Saillune, in one of the rooms that out looked the east side of the kingdom from the magnificent white-stoned castle, was a young woman. She was the only thing in the whole city that wasn't at peace. She stood looking out of her window, leaning on her arms, her long, silk-white nightgown covering her smooth olive-skin. It was low cut in the front, sleeveless, the soft silk reaching her bare ankles. Her short raven-black hair, which had only grown an inch, framed her beautiful face, and her big, blue eyes had lost the sweet, energetic look it had held only hours before.  
  
Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune sighed as she troubled over the many thoughts floating about in her mind. She had tried to go to sleep earlier, because her father wanted to tell her something important, and she needed to be ready for something in the morning, but her thoughts kept her awake. 

  
She was 17 years old, and hadn't seen her friends in almost 3 years, since she would be turning 18 in a few months. Her friends Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev did write to her often, though, promising to visit her. She had grown a few inches over the years, and though her face still looked quite innocent and cute, it also showed how much she had matured and grown throughout the years. No longer a child, she had grown into a young woman.  
  
She wished that she was still travelling with her friends Lina, Gourry, and…Zelgadis. She missed him more than she missed Lina and Gourry. But...he...he got on her nerves so much, and whenever she thought about him....  
  
"He's so selfish and stubborn", she whispered angrily. "All he cares about is himself. No one else, just him. He refuses to see how much we all care about him, and how much I-I.....ooh! He's just so blind! He's always so closed, so distant, and all he cares about is his stupid cure! He doesn't even realize that I don't care what he looks like, and neither do Lina or Gourry or anyone else! If only....Why didn't he come back to Saillune with me?"  
  
She thought of the day they had split up. It was after the incident with Dark Star. Lina and Gourry went one way, Filia another, and Zel said that he would accompany her until she reached a town, and then stay with her until she found a ship to Saillune. He wouldn't go to Saillune with her, because there could be a cure here. But on their way to the town, he heard of a magical cavern in the far north, in a desert valley where it was said that an elfin sorcerer wrote and hid a book that contained magical secrets and spells. As soon as that had reached his ears, he turned to leave and head north to find the cavern. He told Amelia he was sorry, but wanted to go as soon as possible, and take less time. Their last conversation burned in her memory.  
  
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"B-but Mr. Zelgadis, you said that you would accompany me to that town. It's only two days away from here," she said, trying hard to control her voice, her eyes pleading.  
  
"I said I'm sorry, Amelia, but I want to get there before someone else does," Zelgadis replied, putting on his hood and turning his back on her to leave. "Going with you would be going out of my way."  
  
She had watched him start to walk away, tears filling her sad blue eyes. She knew how much finding his cure meant to him, but why did her have to be so mean to her? "M-Mr. Zelgadis.....w-wait!" Amelia called out. Zelgadis stopped and turned around, and Amelia forced herself to smile. She wouldn't let him see her cry....she didn't want his last memory of her to be of her crying. She wanted him to remember her as sweet and always happy, someone who would cheer him up, and not just some child he had had to put up with.  
  
"Here," Amelia said smiling, taking off her bracelet and holding it out for him to take. "So you'll have to come back to Saillune, to give it back to me."  
  
Zelgadis just stared at her, wide-eyed and surprised. "A-Amelia, what??......" he asked, confused, but took the bracelet from her hand.  
  
Amelia forced herself to look happy, and she fought hard to stop the tears threatening to fill her eyes. "Promise me you'll come back, Mr. Zelgadis," she said, her eyes staring at his. "And with this bracelet, you'll know that whatever happens, there are and always will be people who call you their friend. And that you have a reason to return to us, because we'd miss you - Miss Lina, Mr. Gourry, and I." She then hugged him, breathing in his musky scent, and then paced back a few steps. Zelgadis stood there for a moment in complete shock, looking from her to the bracelet he held in his hand and back. Then, still looking at him, she asked, "Well?" Her voice almost cracked with that one word.   
  
"Amelia??" he asked, more confused then he had ever been in his life.  
  
"Do you promise?" she asked, waiting for his response. _Please say yes, she thought to herself, __Please....  
  
He hesitated for a moment, then looked from the bracelet to her. "I can't promise you I will return. I might die, or I might never find a cure. But I do promise if I don't die, and if I find a cure, I will return to Saillune." And with that, he turned to leave, his cape flapping freely behind him.  
  
Amelia stood there, the wind blowing her hair in front of her face. __Why does he have to be so cold? He didn't even say goodbye........She dropped her head to stare down at her feet, and then looked at her bare wrist that a few minutes ago had been covered by the bracelet she had given Zelgadis.   
  
"I'll wait for you......" she whispered under her breath, letting her warm tears fall freely from her blue eyes. She stood there silently crying for what seemed like forever, before she turned and slowly let her feet carry her away. The trees seemed to move out of her way as she walked through the gloomy shade of the forest.  
  
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Amelia shook her head to stop thinking about him. She continued to stare out the window as she tried to calm herself. _I'm so stupid_, she thought to herself. _What was I thinking when I asked him to promise? I don't even know how I feel about him anymore. A part of me says that I care about him deeply, and another part tells me that I hate hims._ "Stupid Zelgadis....I won't wait for you...." she whispered, "I can't."  
  
She sighed, and tried to calm herself down and forget about him for now by taking deep breaths. Thinking about being calm made her think of Slyphiel. She wondered how she was doing. _Probably better than me_, she thought bitterly. The last she heard was that Slyphiel had helped re-build Sairaag. _Come to think about it_, Amelia thought, _Miss Filia and Val moved to Sairaag, and Filia opened up an antique shop there._ "I bet they're having the time of their lives too," she sighed. Amelia also missed Xellos - _even though he is a monster and is therefore evil_. Xellos had, after all, helped them a number of times.....even though it was always to his benefit, and he did turn on them a few times too.  
  
Amelia leaned her head against the side of the window, thinking back. She had been so carefree and optimistic back then, traveling around everywhere with them. _Those had been the best times of my life_, she thought, _even if we had to fight a few dark lords and mazoku along the way. I even almost died...._she thought, thinking back to the incident with Hellmaster Phibrizzo. __I would go through that moment again if I could......it's better than being here now.  
  
_They must still be travelling around, Miss Lina and Mr. Gourry - looking for treasure, stealing from bandits, and eating lots and lots of food_. She looked at the buildings below, thinking of Lina and Gourry fighting over their triple-portions of food mounded up on a table at some poor, unlucky tavern.  
  
_And here I am, cooped up in this castle,_ she sighed, looking around her room, with its expensive tapestry hanging on her wall, and her chestnut-coloured four-poster bed covered with lace, satin, and silk. In truth, she still left the castle as Saillune's representative at times, and she could truly leave at any point if she wanted to, and yet she still felt like caged. She then turned back to the window to stare out into the distance. "What I would do if only I could go on adventures again!" she said to the wind, letting it carry her voice away. __But I can't....I have my duties as a Princess.....no, as the Crown Princess of Saillune. I can't run away like my older sister did. If I left, who would father have? Mother....mother is dead, and I can't just leave him to worry about me._

It was funny - she had once been so optimistic and excited about being a Princess, and doing her duties. Now, she wished she didn't have them. On one hand, it kept her occupied, and she enjoyed what she did, but…she missed her friends, and travelling with her friends. Her life was so busy, and stressed…she didn't know what to do anymore.  
_  
_Images flashed before Amelia's eyes as her mind filled with thoughts of her sister and mother. Blood....so much blood, and those screams that filled her head. Her mother....she wasn't moving, her sister crying and screaming, looking down at their mother and....all that blood. Her sister, running, Amelia left by herself with all that blood....and then, darkness...  
  
Amelia felt herself shiver, and she shook her head. _Don't think about that, she thought to herself. __At least I still have father....  
  
Amelia closed her eyes and sighed._ Father...I don't want to leave you or the people of Saillune, but, all that work..._ Everyday she was busy with one duty or another. She had so much pressure on her shoulders, being the next in line for the crown. She enjoyed her duties, but every now and then she'd remember what she was missing. With every breath she took, she tried so hard to impress everyone, to live up to her title, to not disappoint anyone. She opened her eyes to look up at the dark sky above her, as if hoping it would help her somehow.   
  
"It's just too much!! B-but...but I can't run away! I won't be like my sister! NO! I can't!" she yelled, tears filling her sad eyes. "I-I can't......."_  
  
But th_en, she thought_, I have to get married before I'm _18. Amelia scanned the city below her, darkness filling the windows and streets far below. "Not that people don't try to win my hand," she growled_. People just want to marry me because of my status, not because of who I _am. Men were always trying to court her at balls and whenever she had any free time and set foot outside the castle. At times she felt flattered, when she had been younger, but she didn't want to have to worry about that. She didn't know what to think about 'love'anymore.  
  
"If I don't find anyone, father will just choose someone and arrange a marriage," she muttered. "Stupid law....I wish I didn't have to be married by the time I'm 18. It's not fair....__" Great, she thought_, now I sound like a little kid...."it's not fair"....Zelgadis always said that life wasn't fair..._..  
  
Her mind wandered back to when she travelled with her friends. She had always tried to uphold justice.._..but now....now I'm too busy with the kingd_o_m. We've made many peace treaties, and have upholded justice in Saillune, but...but it just isn't the same...I-I miss being free..._  
  
"Maybe...maybe that's what I miss the most," she whispered. "Being free. Doing what I want, going where I want, upholding justice the way I want...but.... I'm a princess. A crown princess. I have a duty.... I love my duty…but...still..."  
  
Her eyes moved back to stare outside at the endless horizon that stretched for miles_. If only my sister and mother were still around, then.... maybe..._she looked out with longing eyes__. Why...why can't I be like a normal girl? Then I could do what I want, marry whoever I want whenever I wanted to...oh, why me? I'm not even supposed to be the crown princess...oh why?   
  
"Why??"  
  
As that one word left her lips, a single tear rolled down Amelia's smooth cheek, as she stared out at nothing. She couldn't see the peaceful city anymore, or the trees far below, or even the moon that was casting a sweet glow on her face. Tired, she walked to her bed slowly, her feet heavy against the cold marble floor until her feet reached the soft warmth of a rug. She moved to the side of the bed, lifted the covers and lay down. She turned in her bed to face her window, and slowly, her eyes began to close under the weight of her lids. "Sometimes," she whispered to her pillow, ".... Sometimes I.... I just want to...die...." And as the last word left her soft lips, another tear rolled down her cheek, and landed on her pillow as sleep finally took her._


	2. Friends at a Fault

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**Chapter 2: Friends at a Fault**

Lightning flashed across the black sky and lit up the roofs of the buildings below, followed with the loud boom of thunder. The rain was coming down heavily, pattering relentlessly onto the buildings and the ground below.  
  
Amelia's eyes cracked open. She was lying on her side facing the window, and stared outside at the silver beads that passed by. The sky, a blanket of complete darkness, was lit up as lightning pierced it with its bright light. She could smell the scent of the rain as it wafted into her room, and the scent made her feel depressed. It made her feel like crying into her pillow.  
  
Something had woken her up, and looking outside, she assumed that it must have been the storm that was raging on outside the white castle walls. She began to close her eyes when suddenly, she felt the sharp cold of steel press against the smooth skin of her neck. Her eyes widened in horror, as she felt a hot breath against her ear, as a harsh, male voice beside her whispered to her, stilling her heart with fear.  
  
"You really should be careful what you ask for...Princess..._."_

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A new storm had raged the night before, as relentless as the one that had taken place two and a half weeks ago. The golden sun peaked over the green hills, casting a warm glow on the still-wet earth. The scent of the summer morning filled the warm air, with the birds singing for the start of a new day, perched on the branches of the sweet green trees, and everything was quiet.   
  
The day seemed to go by quickly, and as night began to fall, two travellers could be seen walking on a path through a gloomy-looking forest, the little sunlight that was left barely hitting the ground they walked on. The ground felt damp and spongy beneath their feet as they trudged on, ignoring the sounds coming from their empty stomachs. They both wished that they had stopped at the last town, but had just passed through quickly because they couldn't waste any time.  
  
One of the travellers, a petit young woman, stopped suddenly, causing the tall, well-built man travelling with her to stumble and almost fall over. The young woman's ruby-red eyes scanned the area, and then she moved to a log off the side of the road in a clearing. The young man just stood watching her, then moved a few steps closer to where she now sat.  
  
"What did we stop here for, Lina?" he asked innocently, looking at the red-haired sorceress.  
  
Lina Inverse could feel the anger rise in her, and she clenched her fist. She knew that it wasn't the time to blow him up with a fireball or pound his head, but she couldn't shake all of her anger off. She had already been in a bad mood. No food and a dilemma just fed her anger, and the stupidity and forgetfulness of a certain 'protector' topped it all off.  
  
"I stopped," she began to say through clenched teeth, "because I'm hungry, tired, depressed, worried, and because THIS IS WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO MEET ZEL, YOU JELLYFISH!!!!" she finished, yelling at the blond swordsman who stood in front of her. _Could anyone really be that dense?_ she asked herself. She sighed, knowing the answer was a yes.  
  
"Oh, right," was all Gourry Gabriev replied. _I gotta remember these things! he thought to himself.  
  
Lina bent over and put her chin in her hands, thinking. "How could it have happened?" she said softly, staring at the ground with sad eyes. She had asked him that question about a hundred times earlier that day, and each time he had answered "I dunno, Lina."  
  
This time though, he added thoughtfully "Maybe it was that time of the month."  
  
The next thing Gourry knew, a boot flew and smacked him in the face, to which he responded with an "Ow", and then gave Lina back her boot. He knew how much this whole thing was bugging her. _This is bugging the both of us. _  
  
"You know, maybe Gourry has a point there, Lina," came a voice from the other side of the clearing. A figure emerged from the shadows, his hood and mask covering most of his face, and his beige cape following behind him as he walked closer.  
  
"Zel!!" Lina and Gourry both exclaimed, as he pulled down his mask and hood.  
  
"Lina, Gourry, long time no see."  
  
"Yea, its good to see you, " Gourry replied, looking at the blue chimera.   
  
_Guess he still didn't find his cure_, Lina thought to herself, looking at his rocky blue skin.  
  
Lina's smile was replaced by a very serious look, and she motioned for Zel to sit on the log with her and Gourry. Zelgadis Greywords swiftly sat down, and turned to face his two friends.  
  
"You really think that's a possibility?" she asked Zel, as Gourry looked on a little confused.  
  
"What a possibility?" the swordsman asked.  
  
Lina turned and bopped him over the head. "You said it yourself, you idiot! It could've been that time of the month for her."  
  
"It is a possibility," Zel thought out loud, looking from the redhead to the blond. "She isn't the one to go down without a fight."  
  
"Exactly, and that's what I'm worried about. Nobody heard a thing during the night, and if she had fought them, someone would've heard something." Lina said, a worried look on her face.  
  
An uncomfortable silence followed, as each of them were swallowed up in their thoughts. The wind began to grow, causing Lina and Gourry's hair to fly behind them, along with their capes. Lina's stomach growled, and Zel, remembering their appetites, slung off a bag he had been carrying, and took out some bread. Both Lina's and Gourry's face lit up as they yelled "FOOD!!", as Zel handed it to them. "Thanks Zel," both Gourry and Lina replied, their mouth's already full of chewed bread.  
  
The air began to get a little cooler, and thinking that they would spend the night in this opening, talking about the dilemma they were in, they decided to make a fire. Gourry left the opening to get some firewood with Zelgadis, and left Lina alone in the clearing to think by herself. __If Xellos were here, he might be able to help us. No, maybe not. He'd either say it's a secret, or would just play games. Filia could probably help us, though.... she thought, looking up at the moon. Lina sighed, the cool night air whipping her hair around silently in the calm breeze. __She'll be alright.... we'll find her.... we have to find her...  
  
Lina turned at the sound of a branch breaking, and saw Gourry holding a bundle of firewood. He smiled at Lina when he saw her looking at him. Lina forced herself to smile back. _Gourry's the least worried out of all of us. He's so sure that she'll be all right, and that she can take care of herself.... but..._  
  
Gourry looked at Lina as he walked closer. _Lina's really worried,_ he thought to himself, when she smiled back at him. __Even her smile is fake...I've never seen her like this before. This all must really be getting to her. Who would've thought that she could get so worked up about it? She's normally so cool about these kinds of things....   
  
Gourry dropped the stack of wood he held in his arms, in front of the log and the place where they had put up their tents and their sleeping bags. __But, Gourry thought, as his red-haired friend stared off into space,_ she never seemed to care any other time something like this happened...last time she was captured, it wasn't such a big deal. But she was never worried at all…in fact, she just didn't even seem to care...maybe its because she's been missing for a while now. I mean, it has to have been...._ Gourry began to count with his fingers, _a very, very long time now....__

Zelgadis came not too long after with his own pile of firewood, which he added to the pile that Gourry had put down. Lina looked at the wood for a moment, then cast a fireball into the pile to get the fire started.  
  
The yellow, orange and red flames rose up quickly, casting a warm glow on each of their bodies, as they all sat back down on the log to think. Lina looked at Zelgadis. _He must be pretty worried too, or else he wouldn't have stopped looking for his cure. Maybe he's starting to realize..._Lina's thoughts were interrupted by Gourry.  
  
"Maybe they knocked her unconscious while she was asleep, "Gourry said thoughtfully. Lina and Zel both stared at him, amazed that he would even think of that, let alone even think at all.  
  
"That's a possibility also," said the chimera after closing his mouth, which had been hanging open in shock. "But what would they want with Amelia?"  
  
Lina raised her eyebrows and looked at Zel. "Maybe you're just forgetting this from being away for so long, Zel, but she IS a princess.... the next in line for the crown. You know, with lots of money. And she's not all that bad looking either. Amelia also happens to be very powerful in shamanic magic.... there's tons of reasons someone would want to kidnap her. They might want a ransom, or use her to get the crown or whatever." _Zel's so worried he can't even think straight, Lina thought to herself. _That was more like a question Gourry would ask._  
  
"Hey, do we know who kidnapped her?"  
  
Lina and Zelgadis both turned to look at Gourry.  
  
"Gourry," Lina said, her temper rising, "If we knew, this would be a whole lot easier, and we would probably have found them by now."  
  
"Well, then how are we supposed to find her if we have no idea who took her or where they went?"  
  
"Simple, Gourry...." Lina said, her voice taking on a mischievous tone, and an evil-looking smile playing on her lips. "We just ask the bandits nicely, and they'll tell us. Or…we can always ask them the hard way. Someone is bound to know something, since word gets around quickly with them."  
  
"Tomorrow, then," Zelgadis said. "We'll begin our interrogations tomorrow morning. I'll take first watch. You guys go rest."  
  
"Okay, thanks Zel," Lina said, yawning. "Night you guys." she said, as she went to her tent.  
  
"Night Lina. I'll take the next watch, okay Zel? Goodnight." Gourry said, retreating to his tent for the night.  
  
"Ok, Gourry. Night you two." replied Zelgadis, as he prepared himself for the long night ahead of him. He stared into the fire for a while, before shifting his gaze towards the stars. The sky was a light blue around the moon, and it reminded him of Amelia's eyes. _I haven't seen her in ages_, he thought to himself. He unconsciously began to play with the bracelet she had given him, which he kept around his water canteen beneath his cape. It became a habit after having it there for so long.  
  
"Will we really be able to find her?" he whispered to the fire, casting an almost eerie glow on his rocky, blue skin, and as if in response, the fire crackled loudly, and then quieted again to leave him with his thoughts, and the darkness that encased them all._


	3. The Hard Run

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**Chapter 3: The Hard Run   
  
  
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**A sudden pain washed over her as her head throbbed with immense pain. Her mind filled with jumbled thoughts, but she couldn't seem to understand. She could feel the blood rushing to her head, because she was slung over something hard. _Maybe its a shoulder,_ she thought absently, as she felt her and the possible shoulder she was slung over moving...._ maybe walking....  
  
_Her ears then caught faint sounds coming from all around her._ Voices, she thought to herself as her ears became sharper. It was hard to hear anything with her head throbbing with so much pain - it was hard to even think.  
  
She opened her eyes slowly, and found that she was right about her being slung over a shoulder. She could see the rest of the body, a very large, dirty, and muscled body. She shifted her gaze to the man's feet, and saw that they were also walking._ Right again_, she thought to herself a bit smugly.  
  
It was then that she realized something, and this realization hit her hard, making her head throb even more than it had before,__ if that's even possible, she thought to herself bitterly. She moved her hands and found them tied behind her, and felt something wrapped tight around her feet. She then found that she had also been gagged.__ How am I supposed to use magic like this! I can't cast spells without using my hands or without being able to use my mouth! And I can't run away with my feet tied together! Panic and fear washed over her, along with a few drops of bitterness. _As if my life could get any worse!!  
_  
She must have moved or made a sound because suddenly the man she was slung over stopped, and yelled at the others nearby.   
  
"She's awake!!"  
  
"Put her down, then! We'll make camp here until the others arrive," came a harsh, gruff voice. She recognized that voice, and felt fear wash over her entire body once again, but that feeling was easily replaced with another feeling that quickly swept over her body - pain.  
  
The man who had been holding her had just dropped, or more like thrown her, to the hard ground below. Dust flew about her, while leaves and clods of dirt moved away as her body shifted upon the clod dirt underneath her. She began to feel the warm night air whipping around her, but although it was still quite warm, she shivered. She tried hard to suppress the tears threatening to go into her eyes and fall down her smooth cheek.  
  
She was afraid to even look up, afraid of....__ what? she thought. She forced herself to look up, and when she did, her eyes held an angry glint. Many other eyes met hers; eyes that looked at her in a way that made her feel sick, disgusted, and even more afraid. Her eyes faltered, and turned away to look at the cold, dirt ground__. How could I have let this happen! Am I really this weak??? She took note of the leaves around her, and then decided to take a look at where she was_. Maybe I can still escape.... no, I **have** to escape, and I will. Justice always prevails!_  
  
She could see trees surrounding her, but it was too dark to tell exactly how long the forest continued. The sky was a dark blue, the clouds shielding the light from reaching the forest floor_. I couldn't have been knocked out for a long time_, she reassured herself__, because the moon is still only a crescent. _It's probably only been a day.... or two…_ Her eyes slowly moved back to the men who were setting up camp__. And they don't seem to want to make a campfire.... probably because we haven't gotten very far...  
  
Just as her hopes began to rise, her thoughts were interrupted as a disgusting face appeared right in front of hers. His hot breath had a horrible stench, and his teeth were rotten and yellow. His brown hair was messy, and his beard was unkempt and filled with dirt. His stench made it over to her nose, which she crinkled in disgust. His eyes roamed over her, a glint in his eye, but she couldn't tell what it was. She didn't even want to know what it was.  
  
He looked back into her eyes and smiled smugly, but with an evil and malicious look. She fought the urge she had to move away, to move back, but she stayed perfectly still, her face looking defiant. She looked him straight in the eyes, making it clear to anyone who looked at her that she had royal blood running through her veins. The man just stared back and snorted in response.  
  
"Don't try anything, Princess. You wouldn't want me to let me men have their way with ya," he said in a gruff, harsh voice, as he smiled wickedly. Her eyes grew wide with fear, and she looked away. She shifted uncomfortably on the ground; her blue eyes a mix of anger and fear. He noticed her move, and laughed out loud. A mocking laugh.  
  
His eyes looked over her again, her olive-skinned body covered with a silky white nightgown, raven-black hair and deep blue eyes, and for awhile his gaze rested on her chest. When he looked back into her eyes, he had a disgusting smile on his face. "Maybe I should be the one to have a 'lil fun with ya," he said, touching her arm. She let out a muffled scream from behind the cloth that was gagging her and, trying to kick out with her tied feet, moved back. But she only made a sound only loud enough for the other men to hear.  
  
The man stood up and laughed as he looked down on her, sprawled on the floor, her blue eyes filled with fear. He called over two men, and motioned them to watch her as he began to walk away, his head held back as he continued to laugh.  
  
Amelia stared down at the hard, cold dirt ground underneath her. She could feel their eyes on her, and she almost shook with fear. She hated the way they looked at her, and the way they licked their lips as they stared. Almost as if she were a piece of meat. She wanted to put her arms around her waist and hug herself, but she couldn't, because her hands were tied behind her back. She wanted her father, or one of her friends to come and comfort her, to take her away, to save her. She was cold, hungry, and afraid, and the worst part was she hadn't even put up a fight when they kidnapped her. __What kind of warrior of justice am I? What kind of princess am I? Her raven-black hair swayed in the breeze, hiding her face from the men as she looked down at the ground.   
  
_Am I really this weak?_ she asked herself as tears filled her sad blue eyes. She looked around and then turned to stare back at the ground. _Will anyone even come look for me? Of course they will, I'm the Princess of Saillune! Oh, I shouldn't have let this happen. How could I? What would Miss Lina or Gourry say if she found out? What would Mr. Zelgadis say? W-What would father say? ...I can't wait for anyone to find me.... I'll have to escape by myself. And I.... I know I can. Justice is with me!_  
  
She looked around and saw that the men who were supposed to be watching her were playing a game of cards, while eating and drinking. Laughing at each other, taking swings at each other. Looking closer, she could see that one of them was drunk. _Idiots..._ Taking the chance, Amelia went on her knees and stretched back as she tried to reach the rope that tied her ankles together. Her fingers reached and reached, and she stretched her arms as far as she could behind her, but she couldn't reach her ankles. The rope around her wrists rubbed hard against her soft skin as she moved her hands, trying to reach the rope around her ankles. After a few minutes of trying, the young Princess gave up. Her wrists were red and chaffed from the rope burn she had just given herself._

She was about to try again when she heard that same harsh voice call out, and the sound of feet approaching. She tried to turn to see what was happening, but was instead jerked up by strong arms. Screaming against her gag, she tried to fight back, but instead he just let her go and watch her fall to the ground. Laughing, the man picked her up again, hoisting her over his shoulder. She continued to scream against her gag, making muffled noises, squirming and wriggling to get free, until she could hear voices, and the harsh voice whispering to someone. Looking up, she could see shadows in the trees, followed by the sound of…_neighing? That means…_

As she began to understand, she saw the shadows of horses appear, and the men shaking hands in agreement. The man holding her began walking towards the shadows as their leader signalled them over. Terrified, she began to fight against her captor. The men all turned to look as she managed to struggle away from his grip, and as she struggled on the ground to find a way to get back up, she felt a sharp pain hit her head, and then darkness swam over her eyes. The last thing she knew, she was being dragged over a horse, the pain in her head worsening until she couldn't take anymore. And then, everything became blank.

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Two or three days later, Amelia found herself once again in another forest, on a dirt ground in the dead of night, surrounded by trees in a small clearing. The men who were supposed to be watching her were once again playing cards. The last few days, she had been on horseback, their hooves pounding against the ground as they galloped. She had been fed, although a bit forcefully, and she had drank out of a few streams, but she was still hungry. And she still had not been able to escape.  
  
Amelia looked back at her so-called guards, and seeing that they weren't watching her, she lay down on her back. Pulling her knees up in front of her, she planted her feet firmly on the ground. She lifted her body off the floor, arching her back up, only her head and feet on the ground. With her back arched upwards, she then moved her hands towards her ankles. Her arms stretched underneath her arched back, making their way to her ankles. _Common, she thought to herself, __common, common...just a little further...  
  
_...YES! _Amelia would've cried out in joy, if she had not been gagged, when she felt her hands reach her ankles. Her fingers played around with the rope tied around her ankles, and after a few minutes, was able to untie it. Her back ached from being arched like that for so long, but even so, Amelia was filled with hope as she lay back down. In her mind, she smiled, and she closed her eyes as she breathed in deeply. __Now, I just have to wait for the perfect moment....  
  
Her eyes snapped open when she heard the harsh voice yell nearby, and trying to sit up, she looked around to see what it was about.  
  
"Idiots!!!" he snarled, looking at the two men who were supposed to watching Amelia with a dangerous look in his eyes. "I told you two to watch her!"  
  
"W-We're sorry, Boss," said the bigger of the two men, as they both stood up.  
  
"Yer jus' lucky she didn't go anywhere, cause if she did, it would've been yer heads!" He snarled, then turned to see Amelia.  
  
He began to walk towards Amelia, and when he reached her, grabbed her arms. Amelia yelled and tried to pull her arms away from him, but his grip was tight. She almost kicked him, but remembered that her feet were supposed to be tied together. She stopped fighting, because she didn't want him to see that she had undone the ropes around her ankles, and with her arms still tied and mouth gagged, she wouldn't be able to cast anything or even lay a punch on the guy. And there was the fact that there were too many men around. __If I kick him, the other guys will just catch me. I can't kick away twenty strong big guys at the same time....  
  
He pulled her up, and slung her over his shoulder, almost as if she weighed nothing. Amelia was scared, her heart racing inside her chest. She was worried she'd see something she wouldn't like.  
  
Amelia felt every step he took, and shortly afterwards found herself thrown onto the floor. _Oh L-sama, please don't let him or anyone else touch me!_ she thought to herself. She slowly opened her eyes to see him go into his tent.  
  
"Nobody touch her," he growled as he went inside a tent. "I want all of you to watch her, but none of ye can put yer dirty scum-filled hands on her. Reirs wants her to be untouched."  
  
Amelia's mind raced. _Reirs...who is he? What does he want with me? Oh, I wish Miss Lina, Mr. Gourry, and....even Mr. Zelgadis were here._ She looked around, and saw the men staring at her, letting their eyes linger at her curves. She didn't want to wait to find out who this Reirs person was, and decided to find a way out. She looked around, her eyes frantic when she couldn't seem to find a gap between any of the men...but then..._there!_ The gap was large, but it wasn't as close to her as she wished it were. She'd have to run fast in order to get through the gap before one of the men could reach and stop her, but she felt weak from being thrown around all the time and not eating enough food.  
  
Amelia took deep breaths, and looked at the men again. They all seemed too busy staring at her certain features, and others had started to play cards again. She didn't want them to be looking at her when she got up, so she felt around behind her. _Dirt, dirt, big piece of dirt, leaf, dirt, leaf, a rock!_ She closed her hands around the rock, which was the size of her palm.  
  
_Time for some acting, _she thought to herself. She whipped her head around quickly in the direction she wanted to throw her rock, and threw it as far as she could with her hands behind her back. The rock didn't get very far, but it made a slight sound against a slightly larger rock.  
  
The men who had been watching her wondered why she had whipped her head around so quickly, but when the closest of the men heard the sound of the rock hit another rock, they immediately thought that she must have seen or heard something. They all quickly began to move where the sound had come from. This gave her just enough space for her to run past the 'wall of men'. __Guess you get all the luck when you're on the side of justice!  
  
Amelia couldn't believe that they actually fell for it. She sprung up and began to run, and passed right by one of the men who hadn't been paying attention to anything. Another man was ahead of her, arms out ready to grab her, but she swiftly kicked him hard in between his legs and continued to run. She could hear their voices rise as they realized what had happened, and could hear their boss roaring in anger not too long after she had left the clearing. _

Footsteps followed her as she ran as fast as she could through the forest, her hands struggling behind her trying to undo the rope tied around her wrist. The once still and quiet forest was filled with shouts, the undergrowth crushed beneath the many feet running through the forest.  
  
She swerved in and out of trees, and began wishing that she had shoes. Her feet kept stepping on something sharp, like a twig or a rock, causing her to slow down. She would've cried out in pain, if it weren't for the fact that she was gagged. Amelia also had trouble running in her long nightgown, which was ripping and tearing as she quickly passed by branches and twigs. Her breathing was becoming heavy and sharp, and she felt herself growing tired. _Can't stop...I can't stop! She hadn't been getting much sleep the last few days, was hungry, and running was making her tired fast. Her legs were aching, her muscles screaming for her to stop. She could still hear the men pursuing her not too far behind her, and she wished that her hands and mouth were free so that she could use some magic.  
  
As she whipped through the forest, her hair flying wildly behind her, the branches seemed to reach out to cut her. The twisted limbs of the trees seemed to want to hold her back. Her mind raced as her hands worked at the ropes binding her hands together. Amelia grimmaced in pain each time she felt her skin get scratched or cut as she ran past the twisted limbs of the branches. She could still hear their voices not too far behind her, and could hear the sounds of their feet nearing. _

Suddenly, she stopped. A low, sharp branch stuck out of a tree, and an idea popped her head. She turned around and carefully slid the sharp branch through the rope around her wrists. It took a while, because her arms were tied behind her back, but as carefully as she tried, she felt the branch cut her wrist, and warm blood began to trickle down her arm. As soon as the branch was through the rope and trapped with her wrists, she shut her eyes tight and pulled her arms down and to the side as fast and as hard as she could. She felt the rope rip off her skin from her wrists as she pulled away from the branch. The rope stretched and broke apart, but left her wrists stinging with pain. Amelia let out a muffled yell; happy that she had gotten her hands free but in pain because she had just cut and chaffed herself.  
  
Amelia then pulled off the cloth around her mouth that was gagging her, and sucked in the night air gratefully. _Free,_ she thought to herself, enjoying the feeling of being able to use her hands and mouth again. _Time to see if they still work properly,_ she thought, putting her hands in a position only one would use to cast a spell. She then turned, and seeing the men only a few feet away from where she stood, she yelled angrily, "Fireball! Burst Rondo! Diem Wing!" She grinned when she heard the men yell even louder in panic, many of them turning around to run back to their camp_. It feels so good to use magic! _

Her eyes roamed over the charred trees in front of her, and she let out a sigh. _I think I'm turning into Lina...  
  
Turning back around, grin and all, she looked up at the sky, yelled "Raywing!", and went soaring through the sky, not caring where she was going, as long as it was away from them._

  
----------------------  
  
  


The wind stung against the cuts on her body, and looking at herself she saw that her nightgown was torn in many places_. Guess I'll go to whatever town I see first_, she thought to herself. In front of her lay a vast painted landscape of trees, hills, and small creeks. Even in the middle of the night she could see the dense green of the canopy below her. The summer air filled her lungs, and whipped about her as she flew through the clear night sky. "Free at last," she sighed. Amelia made a little twirl in the air before she went back to enjoying what it felt like to be free, flying above the forest below her. She basked in the warm summer air as she raywinged herself as far away from her kidnappers. She was alone now, and could do what she wanted to do. She was high above everything else. She was.... 

_...Free...._

_-----------------------_

*A/N: Sorry if the story seems a little typical at the moment. Hopefully, it'll get better. I'm pretty much writing this as it comes to me, but I have an idea as to how it will end. Now all I need to do is think up the middle *grins* Hopefully the story will live up to its expectations. Just be patient, young grasshoppers, I'll finish this story eventually. Oh, and sorry if I overdid Amelia and her whole 'justice' involvement. Maybe the word 'justice' was used once too many times.... oh well ^^

P.S. Thanks a lot to everyone who reviewed! It really means a lot! Especially since this is my first fic. Thankies!! Love, Vivi :)


	4. The Leadup

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**Chapter 4: The Lead-up**

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"Fireball!"

The trees swayed in the slight summer breeze, the sun high in the afternoon sky. The grass played lightly on the sun-warmed ground, swaying this way and that. Lush forests surrounded a dirt path that swerved and turned through the dense green trees. Birds were perched on the branches that over-looked the dirt road. 

In the middle of the forest lay a clearing, the ground now charred and fried, the surrounding trees enclosing the clearing all bare and smouldering. Gold littered the once grass-filled ground, along with many dirty bodies a certain red-head had just burnt to a crisp.

The petit sorceress walked away from the pile of charred bodies that lay behind her. Lina, Gourry and Zelgadis had been trying to 'casually' find information on the whereabouts of Amelia for the past three days, but to no avail. Not one bandit gang knew anything. And this put Lina in a bad mood.

"Well?" Zelgadis asked as she approached the two men who had stayed a safe distance away from Lina while she went to 'talk' to the bandits.

Lina shook her head sadly and sighed. "Nothing," she said quietly. "Absolutely NOTHING!!" Her voice echoed through the trees as she yelled that last word. She swiftly turned to see about a dozen more bandits come charging towards her, and she sighed again. "Flare Arrow!"

_We must've blown up 50 bandit hideouts or more asking for information, and none of them know anything, Zel thought as he, Lina, and Gourry began walking down the road again. "This is just a waste of time," he said out loud. Lina put the last coin she had taken from them in her cloak, stopped and turned to look at him. _

"Would you rather we just walk around looking under rocks and behind trees to see if we can find her?" she asked sarcastically. Lina was clearly in a bad mood.

Zel gave her a cold, hard stare. He didn't feel like putting up with the redhead at the moment. Gourry just looked from the sorceress to the chimera and back again. "Well," the blond-haired man began, thinking very hard, "I think Lina has a point. But so does Zel."

Zel and Lina both turned to glare at the blond swordsman and then turned to glare back at each other. "Look, Zel, this is the only thing we can do right now. It's not like we have a lead…or anything else. Bandits are the best source of information for these kinds of things. I doubt asking old women in town rocking in their chairs will help."

"Well, the bandits haven't been helpful yet, now have they?" came his stony reply.

"Which makes me worried," Lina sighed. "It's just, every bandit should've at least heard of Amelia's kidnapping, but none of them did."

"I'm guessing Phil didn't tell anyone about it," thought Zel out loud. "Which is a good idea; the city of Saillune would be in an uproar if they knew." 

"Maybe she wasn't even kidnapped," Gourry said suddenly. "Maybe.... maybe she just ran away!"

Lina whacked Gourry upside the head. "You idiot! Amelia would never run away! And if she did, she would at least tell Prince Phil!"

Zel sighed. "Let's just keep walking. Standing around won't help us either," he said, turning around swiftly to continue walking. Lina scowled at his back, grabbed Gourry's arm, and followed after the chimera.

----------------------------

"Your Majesty, the messenger has arrived."

"Send him in, please."

The room was large, the throne at the end. Tapestry hung from the walls, and fine silk curtains framed the elegant windows. The white stonewalls shone brightly as the sun shone off of it, giving the room a bright glow. A red carpet led the way to the magnificently carved throne.

A fairly young messenger in his early twenties appeared through the large, carved wooden doors. Two guards held their positions at the door, while the messenger walked by them swiftly.

Philionel stood by a window, over-looking the busy city of Saillune far below. He turned and gave a weak smile as the messenger walked in.

"Your Majesty," the messenger said, kneeling.

"Come now, Romins, there's no need for formalities. I already told you, call me Phil."

"Umm.... yes, Your Ma.... I mean…Phil. I'm afraid I do not bring very good news, sir."

Phil sighed. The messenger looked down at his feet. "Miss Lina Inverse, and Sirs Gourry Gabriev and Zelgadis Greywords have not found your daughter, Princess Amelia, yet. They are still searching."

Phil turned to look out the window again and thought for a moment before his mind was made up. "Thank you, Romins." Romins bowed and left silently and quickly. "Christopher!" Phil called loudly, although Phil always seemed loud.

"Yes, brother?"

Phil's younger brother appeared from a side door, his skinny body, brown hair and moustache made it hard to believe that he was related to the somewhat big-boned, dwarf-like looking, and dark haired Philionel.

Phil turned to look at his brother, his face set. "Get my horse from my stables. I'm going to go find my sweet daughter, Amelia."

"But Phil, you have to help keep Saillune in order. Everyone will find out what happened if you leave. Saillune needs you!"

"Amelia needs me! And with the power of Justice on my side, I will find my daughter and bring her back safely. What kind of father am I to just sit in the palace and wait? So long as there is evil out there, my daughter isn't safe. But I know she's all right! With justice as my weapon I will find her!" Phil ended, his legs spread apart and arm shot up in the air.

Christopher sighed. "All right, brother, if that is what you want."

"I want to leave immediately. Come," he said, leaving the room through the large wooden doors, as he went on his way to the stables.

------------------------------

The sky was bright and clear, the air sweet and serene, a light breeze playing with the leaves that created a cool shade for the figure below. Her back was propped up against a tree, her chest rising and falling with her steady breathing as she slept. On the branch to her left hung a brown blanket made of wool and cotton. The grass was soft beneath her, and the tranquil sound of flowing water came from a creek not too far away.

A soft noise escaped her lips, and her eyes fluttered slowly. She held her eyes shut for a moment before she opened them slowly, so that her blue eyes would adjust to the light. The sight in front of her was beautiful; she had always loved nature's beauty. That was one reason she loved to adventure.

She looked down at herself; she looked like a ragged doll. Her white nightgown was ripped and torn in many places. Where it had once fallen down to reach her ankles, it now reached her upper thighs. Her cuts and bruises she had healed the night she had escaped, but she had not been able to get any food. She was only able to drink the cool water from the nearby creek, and though it was refreshing, her stomach wanted more. 

It had been two or maybe even two and a half weeks since Amelia had escaped, and three weeks or so since she had been missing. She had fallen asleep, exhausted, in a forest close to a village. She had woken up hungry and thirsty the next night, and had flown over to the town nearby. She landed in the middle of the street, hoping to get some food and something decent to wear. She had walked through the village in the peace of the night. Not one person had been on the street.

"I wonder where everybody is…" she had said loud to herself as she wandered over to a store, only to realize it was closed. It was right then and there that her common sense had kicked her hard in the head. _Of course, its nighttime! Nobody would be up in the middle of the night!…well, maybe a tavern…._

The young Princess had eventually found her way to a tavern, but right before she entered, her common sense kicked her hard again. _Oh no! I don't have any money!! And no one will believe I'm a Princess if I look like this! _She had thought to herself, looking down at the torn nightgown. Her stomach had growled, and her mouth was unbelievably dry. _Maybe the innkeeper will pity me and out of the kindness of his heart will let me stay for the night and give me something to eat...._ Amelia had thought. Peering into the tavern, she had seen four men, each looking quite drunk. Looking towards the bar, the innkeeper hadn't looked too friendly either.

Amelia had looked down at herself again, and feeling very modest all of a sudden, began to blush. She knew she was showing way too much skin. And after her experience earlier that night, she didn't want any more men staring at her like a piece of meat. So she had raywinged herself into a forest, and had fallen back to sleep from the lack of food. 

She had wandered through forests from that day on, eating as much as she could when she found the rare apple tree as she wandered, and every time she reached a lake, pond, river or creek, she would fish and fish and fish, until she couldn't eat anymore. _I think Miss Lina has had some sort of influence on me_, she had thought.

Two days ago, Amelia had been lucky enough to stumble into a bandit hideout. _What would Miss Lina do?_ She had thought to herself. _As a warrior of Justice, I must punish these evil bandits!_ Amelia had easily disposed of them, all the while hiding her body in modesty behind a rock. Then she had taken their money and had found a tavern where she ate her fill and bought a blanket to cover herself with. She had sighed when she realized that she hadn't taken enough money for clothing.

Amelia took her blanket down from the branch and threw it around herself. _Being free is fun, but its quite hard when you have no real clothing_, she thought to herself. Amelia looked down, thinking of her home. _I miss Saillune. I miss everyone. I miss father… and he must be so worried about me! I have to go back, so that he knows I'm all right! I am the Crown Princess after all! Oh, what have I been doing? _Amelia then began to walk, hopefully in the direction of home. _I won't fly just yet…I need to find some food first. And I know I already ate all the fish in this creek._ And with that, she walked quickly, her black hair flying in the soft breeze.

----------------------------

Lina's feet hurt, her legs were tired, and she was hungry again. "Zel, common, we can't find her in the dark! And we'll need to rest if we're going to have enough energy to find her."

"Yeah, Zel, Lina's right. I'm hungry and tired!" came Gourry's voice. He was trailing in the back.

"Fine, you two go rest. I'm gonna keep searching," came Zel's reply.

"Zel, be serious about this! We all want to find her, but if we kill ourselves, how are we supposed to do that, huh?" The redhead said, stopping.

Zelgadis turned to look at his friends, sighed, and then left the road as he disappeared into the trees. Lina and Gourry followed as they found a clearing, and set up camp. _It's gonna be a long night, _Lina thought as a fire began to rise. They worked quickly, fixing up the tents they were going to sleep in. Zelgadis took out a bag full of food. _We'll have to eat sparingly, so that the food can last us until we reach the next town, _he thought. "Food!! Gimme, Zel, gimme!" cried Lina as she sprang at him. 

"Hey, Lina, that's not fair, I want some too!" came Gourry's shout and he tried to grab the bag from Zel. "Stop it, you two! We have to save this food for tomorrow also! Get off!" Zel yelled as he squirmed underneath the two.

Suddenly, a twig cracked behind him in the darkness of the trees, and he turned. Lina and Gourry also followed his gaze. Both Zel and Gourry took out their swords, and Lina looked ready to fireball.

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*AN: I'm really sorry about this chapter…its pretty short. And I'm sorry that it isn't too interesting. It's just that, as the chapter title says, this is a lead-up to something. Hopefully I didn't bore you all to death with this chapter. And I feel like you need to know what happens to everybody at this point. The next chapter won't be so boring, I swear it won't!! I think the next chapter will have a lot of angst…I'm not sure. Plz keep reading this fic, it'll get better, I swear it will!

And sorry if anyone is OOC in this chapter. I think Amelia went out of character…And I had such a hard time with Phil especially!

---Oh, and once again, thnx so much for reviewing. I really love you guys! Keep reviewing, and I'll keep writing! - Vivi Laney


	5. The Notsohappy Reunion

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Chapter 5: The Not-so-happy Reunion 

The warm air began to cool a bit as the sun began to set. Amelia's stomach growled for food, for she hadn't been able to find any at all that day. She draped her brown blanket closer to herself; not because she was cold, but because it was the only thing that gave her at least the tiniest sense of comfort.

The trees that surrounded her seemed to loom over her, and even though she had grown, the tall trees made her feel small and helpless. Amelia soon plopped herself miserably down upon a log, and lifted her feet. They were dirty, blistered, and some parts were even raw from having walked barefoot through many different forests for the past three weeks. She assumed it had been that long by now, or at least close to that amount of days. She was also tired from raywinging whenever she wasn't walking, as she tried to figure out which way was home.

Amelia sighed, thinking of the great white city of Saillune. Her home. The home of her people. The place where she had grown up. _I can't believe that I ever wanted to leave,_ she thought, looking at her surroundings._ Sure, I miss all the adventures, but I'm beginning to miss home a lot more. And father…I miss him so much. He's probably worried about me; why didn't I go home right after I escaped?? Now I'm lost…some Crown Princess I am._

She sighed, running her olive-toned hand through her raven black hair. She pulled the blanket closer, as if in doing so she would provide herself with more comfort. _Travelling and going on adventures just isn't the same when Miss Lina and Mr. Gourry aren't around…and Mr. Zelgadis. _She heard herself scowl. "He didn't even write to me while he was away. Even Miss Lina and Mr. Gourry wrote to me. And there I was, hoping he'd come back to Saillune to see me when he wouldn't even take the time to write to his friend," she whispered, her voice holding a bit of bitterness.

She pulled her brown blanket even closer and then hugged herself. How she wished someone would hold her and comfort her. Like her father. Or Zelgadis….._No!_ she screamed in her mind, and shook her head. _Why would I possibly want him to hold me? He'd only be cold and hard and stiff. Get it together, Amelia._

She breathed deeply, and closed her eyes. _Good…_she thought to herself. _Think of heroes, think of Justice, think of going back home…_Tears filled her blue eyes as she thought about Saillune. _Guess when you adventure all by yourself you get homesick._

Amelia lifted up her feet and cast a healing spell, knowing that they would only go raw again and start to hurt again later. _Oh well, at least it takes away the pain for a while._ Standing up, she hissed as she stepped on something unpleasant. "And so it begins…." She mumbled to herself, as she set out hoping to find her home, her Saillune, her father, and her life again.

The sky began to grow dark, and her stomach began to rumble loudly. She hadn't been able to find any food whatsoever. No fish, no fruit, nothing. Then Amelia stopped suddenly, looking around her, trying vainly to peer through the dark trees and their surrounding shadows. She could've sworn she had heard something.

She began to walk again, a bit hesitantly and slowly, as the sky grew darker, and the shadows filled the small gaps in between the dark trees. She pulled her blanket close around her again, and bit her lip, her eyes now filled with fear. _It's probably nothing, _she reassured herself. _Besides, if its just bandits, I can use my magic. I'll fight back, with Justice on my side! I won't just give up like before, I'll fight…_

Amelia's thoughts trailed off as she thought she heard mumbling nearby. Amelia's heart sped up, pounding at her chest, her mind screaming at her to run away, but she stood, ever so silent and still. The voices sounded vaguely familiar, but whether she wanted to remember those voices or not, she couldn't tell. Her feet suddenly began to move her forward, through the trees and the undergrowth, toward the voices, and as afraid as she was, she couldn't stop. And so Amelia forced herself to be brave.

-------------------------

It had become dark, the moon high in the clear sky. The fire cast a warm glow on the three fighting, their arms and legs flying in the air as they yelled. A sound in the trees made them look up, quickly. The chimera was the first to hear, and pushing his two companions off of himself, he drew out his sword. The dumb blond swordsman was the next to draw his sword, the one he had found as a replacement for the sword of light, and the redheaded sorceress stood ready to fireball.

A figure stepped out of the shadows, their face hidden from a hood that shadowed their features, and what looked like a long, dark cloak hung from their shoulders. The figures hands were nowhere to be seen, and it was hard to tell if the figure was even human because the shadows obscured it.

The figure's head moved up a little, staying silent and watchful. The four stood completely still in the dark, the three companions watching the one stranger, the only movement coming from the wind whipping past them. Lina began to grow increasingly impatient, just standing and staring at the strange figure, and so she raised her hands and opened her mouth, ready to cast a spell….

But she didn't. The stranger's voice stopped her. Stopped Lina Inverse. With only six, short words. "Miss Lina, it IS really you!" And the next thing the redhead knew, she was on the ground, the brown-cloaked figure on top of her. Only it wasn't a brown-cloaked figure. The figure wasn't even wearing a cloak; it was really a brown blanket.

Lina pushed the figure up off of her, and was able to look into the figure's face. The face that the sorceress had expected to see after hearing the figure say those six words. The face of a friend. The sweet, olive-toned face, with the raven black hair and bright blue eyes. _Amelia…_

Zelgadis and Gourry could only stare, wide-eyed, at the figure still crushing Lina. They both couldn't move and seemed paralysed. Amelia got up, helping Lina all the while mumbling her sorry's and making sure that the blanket stayed wrapped around her. Gourry was the first to 'almost' come to his senses.

"Hey, Lina, she looks familiar…….do we know her?" the blond swordsman asked innocently.

Lina whacked him upside the head. "You idiot!" she yelled at him, a smile breaking onto her face. "That's Amelia!"

Gourry moved closer to the Princess and stared at her face intently with very serious look. Finally, Gourry nodded, saying, "Yeah, it is her! Wow, Amelia, you look different! You've really grown!"

Amelia smiled, tears rapidly filling her blue eyes. "Oh, Miss Lina, Mr. Gourry, you don't know how much I've missed you guys!!" And she gave them both big hugs, making Lina blush a little, because of how much the Princess had missed her. Amelia's eyes brightened, and her spirits completely soared, seeing her friends well and still together.

But Amelia remembered that there had been three of them. _Do I really want to see him? Maybe it was just my imagination…_

She slowly turned, to see a very shocked chimera still staring at her. Emotions flew through her mind, all jumbling together. _It's him! It's really him! I've missed him so much!! But…he never wrote to me. Do I really want to see him? I can't still possibly like him anymore, can I? I mean, it was just a crush. He looks the same as ever. Poor Zelgadis, he still hasn't found a cure. Should I hug him? He is my friend still, isn't he? Ah, what should I do??_

She had grown. Zelgadis didn't know what to do, or what to say. It was her. Amelia. His friend…the one he'd been worried about for the past three weeks. And she looked different than he had expected. He thought she would look exactly the same, short, sweet and optimistic looking, with her innocent face and big blue eyes. But she looked so mature. Even draped with a brown blanket around her shoulders and twigs caught in her hair, she still had the air of royalty...something that made her seem like such a different person. And she seemed to have a gleam of joy in her eyes. _Those startlingly big blue eyes…_

"Mr. Zelgadis!" she said, running and embracing him. His scent was still the same; warm and musky, and something else that was his scent entirely. She didn't know whether to hate him or not, so she took the latter.

Then, all at once, they all began to ask each other questions, and sitting by the fire, Amelia told them of what happened.

---------------

"Wait, I still don't get something," Lina said as Amelia finished off her story. "How did they kidnap you without anyone in the palace hearing anything? You said that they were only bandits."

Amelia's voice almost sounded choked. "T-they threatened father and my handmaiden." But Amelia didn't tell them the whole truth though…her mind had been troubled, and she had even said that she wanted to die…she had felt so tired of doing things, that she just wanted to finally accept what was happening…

"But why didn't you go back home? To Saillune?" Zel asked her. "If you escaped so soon after being kidnapped, why did you just roam around?? You should've told someone that you were okay!"

Amelia's face flushed and she looked down, knowing that he was right. "I know, but…I was going to go back home, that's were I was heading today before I found you guys!"

Gourry looked at Amelia with a very serious look slapped across his gentle features. "You know, Amelia, we've been really worried about you. Phil's been pretty worried too."

Amelia just kept her head down, and Lina whacked Gourry's arm. Lina's stomach then growled, and she rubbed it, saying, "Oh, I'm so hungry! Zel, where's that food?" Amelia then remembered that she had not eaten anything that day, and clutched her stomach. "I haven't had a bite to eat all day…" whispered the Princess.

Lina had managed to steal all the food from Zel's bag and put it to her mouth, but hearing Amelia, she moved her hands away and looked back at the food. _Aww, this is the last thing I thought I'd ever do! _she thought to herself. Before she could change her mind, she shoved the food over to Amelia, and Gourry not even objecting to Lina's actions.

Amelia looked at Lina gratefully, and gave Lina, Gourry, and Zel all a piece of a loaf of bread, before eating the rest of the food. It didn't take long for the food to disappear, and Lina sat quietly, wishing now that she hadn't given Amelia **all** that food.

Grumpy, Lina got up and went over to her tent, but before she reached it, Amelia called out to her. "Miss Lina! Umm….I don't have a tent of my own, so…do you think we could share?" 

Lina sighed. "Alright, Alright! G'night guys," came the redhead's reply, before she entered her small tent. It was then Gourry who followed. "Yeah, I think I'll go to sleep too. Night!" And he retreated to his own tent, beside Lina's.

The flame flickered a bit, and Zel tossed in a log. The flame shot up, the light illuminating both of their faces. An awkward silence fell between them, before Zel spoke.

"Umm…Amelia…I want to give you something."

Amelia's heart skipped a beat, and she didn't know if she wanted to feel happy about it or more upset. What could Zel possibly want to give her? She turned to look into his eyes.

He turned away, and then took something out of his pocket. "I want to return this to you." And in his hand he held her bracelet, the one she had given him before they parted ways. For a moment, Amelia was filled with joy. Zelgadis had kept the bracelet! And then as quickly as her happiness had come, it left, and tears filled her eyes. _Why…why?_

"Why?" she asked out loud. It was barely more than a whisper.

"You told me to give it back to you, remember?"

"B-but Mr. Zelgadis…. I told you to give it back to me when you returned to Saillune."

"Well, I might never return to Saillune, Amelia."

She fought hard to stop from drowning in her tears, the tears that threatened to fall down her smooth cheeks. _He doesn't want it anymore. He doesn't want to keep it. He'll never come back to Saillune. He doesn't want to remember me…_

"You can keep it, if you want, Mr. Zelgadis," she said, her voice almost cracking. _Don't let him see you cry. You're strong, Amelia. Strong._

"But it's yours, Amelia. And I don't deserve it. Besides, you told me to give it back to you, so I am. I'm just keeping a promise." He didn't understand why giving it back hurt her so much. He didn't want to see one of his only friends hurt. Sure, she was annoying at times, but that didn't mean he hated her, although sometimes it seemed that way. _Surely her little crush for me is gone by now? I mean, it's been so long, and she doesn't seem like she feels that way any more._

"B-but…" she looked down at herself, her pathetic little form wrapped tightly in a brown blanket. And then she knew she hated him. Knew that a friend would want to keep it. She was just a nuisance, an obstacle in his way. And he didn't want to keep her promise. He would never return to Saillune, even if he did find a cure. She quickly grabbed the bracelet from his hand, giving him a cold, hard stare. She saw in his eyes…. confusion? Sadness, even? And she knew she didn't hate him. She couldn't hate him. He was, or at least had been, her friend. And he had stopped his search for his cure to help find her.

Amelia turned, and went into Lina's tent, the tears now spilling from her eyes. Zelgadis wanted to hit himself. Why did he refuse to keep it? Why couldn't he be more sympathetic? _Because I'm cold. And because I don't want to hurt her if she hopes to see me return to Saillune, and then I never do. Hmph…but if I'm so cold, then why in L-sama's name do I even care?_ And he sighed, being left alone in front of the fire again, which gave him no heat, and no light. All that he saw and felt was darkness. And he was alone. 

Alone. And the only thing in his mind were…Those_ startlingly big blue eyes…_

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*AN: Congrats to MoroTheWolfGod on guessing right about the person in the shadows being Amelia! Here's your prize *hands over a Lina plushie with 'kill-me-lina' Gourry plushie included* ^__^ Was that last chapter really not that boring? Ok, then, I take back all those 'sorry's!' I said Ah, the title of this chapter REALLY gave it away, huh? Hehehe…and maybe that last chapter wasn't much of a lead-up….maybe I should consider it a lead-on!! HAHAHAHA! Ahem….just joking, it really does lead-up to something…I think ^__~ But I fear that the chapters will start taking more time. But I won't take too long, don't worry! Oh, and double sorry if anyone is OOC!!!

Thnx again to anyone who reviewed! You guys/girls are really the best! B-E-S-T! Better than everyone else! (just don't tell them I said that, ok? This'll be our little secret.) Review and I'll make shrines for you all…Or, maybe not…

……Oh, and any criticism is welcome, so long as its not really a flame….

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| ^;^ | Oh, and this is a pic of Xellos my brother attempted. Looks nothing like him!

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	6. Misconceptions and Misunderstandings

Chapter 6: Misconceptions and Misunderstandings 

She screamed, tried to get away, to help, but she was stuck, frozen, paralysed. All around her there was blood….so much blood….she wanted it to go away! _Why won't it go away!!!_ She screamed in her mind. She tried to make a sound, to scream, but it was all silent. She could hear her sister, could see her run away, and leave her….alone….with the blood….and her mother….and then, blood…so much…around her father….

She sat up, her heart racing and pounding inside her chest. She clutched her brown blanket, pulling it closer around her for comfort. Her face was sweaty, her black hair plastered to her face. She brushed her hair off, and then let her face rest in her hands. _Why do I keep remembering that? _She asked herself, tears filling her stinging blue eyes. _I never remembered it before. And why did I see father like that??_ She shuddered, and wrapped her arms around herself. Where was she?

She looked around, finding herself in a tent. _Lina's tent. But she isn't here…I wonder where she went._ It was then that she heard voices outside the tent. Amelia moved to the tent's flap and peered through, to see Lina and Zelgadis sitting near the fire, in deep conversation. Gourry lay sound asleep in the next tent. Amelia couldn't help herself; she knew she shouldn't listen to other people's conversations, but she was curious as to what they were talking about so late at night.

"…she's safe," she heard Lina say, but didn't catch the beginning of the sentence. "This was all such a pain, though. I can't believe she just wandered around for weeks! She should've gone home!!"

"I agree. And it isn't like her, to keep her father worried."

"Those two are so close its almost sick. We should try to get back to Saillune as soon as possible."

"Say Lina, didn't you say you were tired earlier today?" Zel asked. "It's my watch…just go back to sleep."

"I would…but Amelia keeps kicking me and she stole my covers!" Amelia felt herself go red. "And, on top of that," Lina continued, "I'm hungry! Starving! I can't believe I gave her all that food! Something's wrong with me…maybe I have a fever…." Lina moved her hand to her forehead to check her temperature.

"We'd better get back to Phil soon…. I wasted too much time doing this, and the whole time she was fine!" Zelgadis sighed, looking into the fire. _And now she probably hates my guts…_

"Yeah, she's been such a nuisance. First, I have to search for her for three weeks. Then, she tackles me, eats my food, steals my covers, and won't let me sleep! At least I didn't hear another one of her annoying justice speeches. How can Phil stand her? It must be hard for him to have a daughter like her. I can't believe that after all these years, she's still such a pain…."

Amelia couldn't believe what she was hearing. _Nuisance? A pain? I wasted their time? They probably didn't even want to search for me. They were probably forced to._ She felt tears stinging her eyes as she blocked their voices from her mind. What kind of friends were they? They were probably jumping for joy when they were able to get rid of her. She quickly left the tent and dashed back into the dark, gloomy forest. She ran, panting…. she wouldn't stop, not until she was away from them. _My father would probably be better off without me, too. _Tears streaked her face as she ran father into the dark shadows of the forest.

"…but I'm glad she hasn't changed. I mean, she's grown and matured, but she's still the same, lovable Amelia. I've missed her so much, and I'm glad we found her. As soon as we get back to Saillune, we're gonna have a big, yummy feast!" Lina rubbed her stomach, thinking of different types of food.

"Is that all you think about? Food?" Zel sighed, looking deeper into the fire. "I wonder who this Reirs person is." He sighed again, looking up into the night sky. "I'm glad she's alright, too…."

"Ooooh, finally admitting your feelings for her?" Lina asked, smirking and nudging him. Zel turned a bright shade of red.

"S-she's just a friend, Lina. Cut it out!"

Lina laughed, and got up. "Sure, Zel…sure…." She loved teasing him about Amelia. But then Zel smirked. "I know who you're always thinking about. It's Gourry…" Lina blushed furiously. "I don't! I never! Shut up, Zel!" And she walked back to her tent, glaring at him, only to find….

"Zel!! She's missing!! Amelia's gone!!!!!"

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Amelia flew above the forest, wanting to get away from her so-called 'friends' as fast as she could. She couldn't feel the night summer air whipping through her hair, and couldn't see the moon casting a soft glow on her skin. She didn't even notice that she was crying. Eventually, she got tired. She fell back to the ground, but refused to stop. She continued running, her breath coming in short gasps.

She stumbled into a vast clearing. A creek came from one side, flowing over to a lake, where the mist hovered lazily over its glass-like surface. The stars were reflected in the smooth surface of the lake, and wild flowers spread about the grass in the clearing. A large tree stood almost at the edge of the lake. The trunk was wide…a very old tree; it's leaves dangling off its branches, almost reaching the ground. Amelia walked over to the tree slowly, and underneath the trees' great branches, she fell asleep. And she slept a dreamless sleep.

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"You two, go back to Saillune as soon as possible, and tell Phil we found Amelia. I'll go look for her, and bring her back."

The fire still crackled, the night sky overhead seeming to fall and press the darkness closer about them. Lina and Gourry stood side by side, and Zelgadis stood facing them.

"Zel, we should help you find Amelia too, you know," came Gourry's voice. He looked asleep, but sounded very much awake.

"Someone has to tell Phil before he does something drastic. You know him. And…I might be the reason why Amelia left."

Lina looked at him, her gaze seeming to penetrate his stone skin. "What did you say to her, Zel?"

"Nothing. Look, we're wasting time. You'd better go tell Phil before all of Saillune finds out what happened."

Lina continued to argue with Zel, but eventually Gourry convinced Lina that they had to get to Phil, for Amelia's sake. Amelia wouldn't want her father worried. They left, grim faced, Gourry looking at Lina worriedly as they walked side by side.

---------------

Amelia had woken up feeling slightly better, but took off once again. She raywinged herself over the forest canopy until she got tired, and then continued by foot. She stopped whenever she found any fruit or fish so that she could eat, and would then set off again. Her face was grim, and seemed drawn and pale. Her eyes looked dull and sad; her eyes no longer held the bright, happy and optimistic gleam it normally held. They were etched with a melancholy look. Her brown blanket became her new source of comfort…her only source of comfort. 

She eventually found her way to a small little town. How many days had past since she ran away? She wasn't keeping count. It had been less than a week, though, that she knew. Many of the people glanced at her as she walked past. 'Who could that poor girl be, hiding beneath a blanket?' They all asked themselves as she past. Her gaze stayed glued to the street she walked on, her eyes never straying to look at any of the villagers.

Every now and then she'd stop in front of a shop window, and often she looked into the tavern, wishing for some hot food and a warm, soft bed. She forced herself not to think about anything; but as hard as she tried, she couldn't keep her mind from being filled with all her troubling thoughts. Her tired mind was busy battling an inner turmoil, one she couldn't seem to escape. She suddenly began to regret leaving her friends; she was sure that she either heard wrong, or that they didn't really mean it. Thinking back, they'd always showed that they cared for her. Even Zelgadis had…

"Excuse me Miss, are you lost? Do you need help?" asked a young man with light brown hair and hazel eyes. He looked genuinely concerned, so she decided to answer him instead of just walking away.

"I'm fine, really, but thanks for your concern," she answered, showing him a small smile. It was the first time she had smiled since running away from her friends. "Actually, maybe you could help me. Would you happen to know which way Saillune is from here?"

The young man looked at her thoughtfully for a moment, at least that's the expression Amelia thought she saw, but he was really awed at her beauty, even though she had twigs in her hair and a dirty brown blanket wrapped around her. "I-it's north of year, I-I mean here. North-east to be more exact."

Amelia once again gave him a small smile, mumbled her thanks, and began to walk away. The sky began to cloud up and get dark. Amelia looked up and sighed. _Looks like it's going to rain tonight._

She moved towards the forest, hoping that she'd be able to find a cave or something to provide her shelter. She kept her eyes down as she quickly walked past many people. Because her eyes were downcast, and because she was walking so fast, she couldn't really see where she was going. The first drops of rain began to fall, and she quickened her pace, until she bumped into someone else.

"Oh, I'm very sorry," Amelia exclaimed, looking up at the person she had bumped into. In front of her stood a woman with dark brown hair cascading down her back in waves, reaching her waist. The sides of her hair were braided into a crown around her head. Her dress was dark blue, and her eyes were a hazel-green. "Oh, no dear, I'm very sorry. I wasn't looking where I was going."

The lady, looking not much older than Amelia, then looked up at the sky. "Oh dear, I think it will rain any minute now." She dropped her gaze down to land upon Amelia again. Her hazel-green eyes seemed to search Amelia's face. Amelia eventually looked away, feeling a little uncomfortable under the woman's intense gaze. The woman, as if making up her mind about Amelia, then took a quick glance at the brown blanket around her. "Dear, if you would like, you may stay at my house until the storm passes. I'm afraid it won't be very merciful today."

Amelia smiled, looking relieved and almost awed at the woman's kindness. "Oh, but I couldn't…"

"Nonsense. I would rather enjoy some company, Amelia dear."

Amelia looked at the woman. _Did I tell her my name?_ Amelia then felt very unsure and confused, and very uncomfortable. "Actually, I'm fine…"

"Don't worry, Amelia dear. I don't bite. I happen to know that you've been through a lot. Come to my house, and I'll send a messenger to your father, telling him that you're alright."

Amelia backed away a few steps. _Should I really trust her? She seems nice and all, but…_"How do you know all that?" her voice held suspicion in it.

"Amelia, I know many, many things. Now, you may come if you wish; I will not force you."

Amelia hesitated for a moment. _Hmm…guess it wouldn't hurt to stay for a night. Maybe the word got around; I have been missing for a while, now. Besides, if she tries anything, I can easily fireball her or something. _Amelia took a few steps, and then stopped. She was still very unsure.

"Alright, then," the lady said, a bit of a frown upon her pretty face. She began to walk away, but then turned back to Amelia. "Oh, and I think I should give you this. I'm sure your mother would've wanted you to have this." From a pocket in her dress, she pulled out a ring. Her mother's ring!

"W-where did you…you get that!!" Amelia cried out. This little stunt made Amelia trust and distrust the lady in front of her even more.

"Let's just say we were old friends. Would you still like to stay at my house, or are you all right?"

Amelia looked from the ring to the lady. She still didn't quite trust her. "Alright, I'll come." _I have to find out who this woman is. I can't just ignore this…something fishy's going on…_

She took the ring from the lady and followed the woman to her house, high on top of a hill over-looking the rest of the small town. As soon as they reached the front door, the rain began to pour down. The lady entered the door first, and then Amelia followed cautiously.

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*AN: Agh, I had writers block! Sorry about this chapter….I had it all in my head, but when it came down to writing it, well….it just didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. Sorry. Next chapter should be better…well, should be. Oh, and sorry again if anyone is slightly ooc. School starts again tomorrow and I can't seem to think straight!

^^ Thnx to anyone who reviewed!! I praise you all!! Long live reviewers!! Viva reviewers!! Etc, etc ^^ I love you people!!!


	7. Truth and Deception

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**Chapter 7: Truth and Deception**

The hall was big, although not nearly as big as the one in her palace. A grand staircase loomed at her right, the floor made of marble and cold to the touch. The woman led Amelia through the corridors of the house, until finally they entered a dining room. A servant entered just a second later with warm, delicious smelling food. Amelia's eyebrows furrowed as she glanced around. _Would it be safe to eat?_ Amelia wondered.

The table was small and homely, and Amelia sat opposite her hostess. Her stomach grumbled as Amelia laid eyes on the food: a turkey, a salad, chicken legs, crab legs, and potatoes, among other things. Amelia's stomach grumbled: she forgot that she was starving.

The woman picked up her fork and began to eat quietly. Amelia picked up her fork also, but hesitated, unsure. "Go on," the dark brown-haired woman said, her voice reassuring. "It's not poisoned." And as if to prove the point, the woman reached over the table with her fork and grabbed a piece of Amelia's salad. Amelia stared at her food, wondering what she should do. Her mind fought her stomach, and in the end her mind won.

"I don't believe you told me your name," Amelia said as she put down her fork gently, her back straight. Her posture held the air of someone important, although some might've thought that she sat a bit rigidly. The woman didn't seem the least bit offended by the young Princess' actions.

"Oh, dear, I'm very sorry. How silly of me." The woman smiled, and her face shone, warm, kind, and mysterious. "But I do believe you've heard of me. My name, Amelia dear, is one I'm not too sure you'll like. Dear, my name is…Reirs…."

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Zelgadis felt like shit. The chimera was raywinging through the air, hoping to find the young Princess from high above the canopy of trees. He'd been searching for three days now, but to no avail. _I'll be lucky if I even find a clue! L-sama, she's fast!_ He knew this area quite well; he had searched for his clue here once before, and he had ended up going back and forth through this area a few times over.

_It's all my fault. She probably ran because of me! No, she did run because of me. Lina's going to kill me if I don't find her…no, **I'm** going to kill me if I don't find her! Once again, Zelgadis, you did something very stupid. Please Amelia, be all right. Please…I know you're all right…_.

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If Amelia had been eating, which, luckily, she wasn't, she would've ended up spitting it all out. "W-What?!?!?!" she spluttered, pushing out of her chair so fast it she knocked it over. She stood away from the woman across the table from her, realizing how stupid she was to go to a stranger's house. _I knew something was up, but…_"I thought you were a guy!" The words spilled out of her mouth before she knew it.

The woman, or rather Reirs, giggled. "Dear me, I can't blame you for thinking so. My name hardly sounds like it suits a woman, and those bandits probably didn't help. I'm really quite sorry for sending them to get you; I honestly didn't think they'd treat you like that."

"So you're confessing your crimes! That you were the one who sent those men to kidnap me!" Amelia felt very alert, her eyes darting around the room for anything that didn't look right. Just who was this Reirs person, anyways?

"Amelia dear, I wasn't really 'kidnapping you'. I just wanted to talk to you. I suppose I did go a little out of hand," she added, giggling again. Amelia was shocked to hear her giggling about it. "Maybe I should have just asked for an audience with you instead of trying to bring you here. My, I did create quite a ruckus, I suppose."

Amelia couldn't believe it! How could this woman act so calm? She had just admitted that she was the one who'd ordered Amelia's kidnapping, and she was acting as if she had accidentally stepped on someone's toes, or broken someone's china. _Unbelievable! The nerve of this woman! Does she know what she put me through because of that?!?!?! _"I can't believe you! How can you be so blasé about this?! Don't you know what you put me through, what you put my father and my friends through?!" Amelia's face was red with anger, her hands curling up into fists at her side.

Reirs face took on a very serious look, and her voice seemed to change completely. "I had to tell you something very important, Amelia. I know what I did was wrong, and I'm very sorry for what's happened to you. But I wanted to tell you as soon as possible, and having you brought here was the fastest way I could think of."

_Some excuse,_ Amelia thought bitterly in her head. "No, the fastest way would've been for you to come see me. It would've been less trouble, also. Don't think that I'll let you get away with this! With Justice on my side, I will not waver, and I will not lose. What you did, Reirs, was unjust!"

"Justice is just an empty concept people live by, Amelia. People use the concept of justice to make what they're doing right in the eyes of themselves and others. Why use empty words, Amelia? Did you ever notice that whenever you use this empty concept, it never works? People always turn it against you, or they just don't care about it. Because, in the end, its just an empty concept."

"No! Justice isn't just an empty concept. Justice is what's right, and good, and gives punishment to anyone who is evil and does bad. Justice isn't empty; many people believe in it, and so do I! Don't try to fool me, Reirs."

"The only one you are fooling is yourself, Princess." Reirs sighed, and got up from her chair. Amelia eyed her warily and cautiously, taking a few steps back. Why didn't she just run for it? "Amelia, there is still something important I have to tell you. You…"

"What, are you going to try to feed me more lies? Try to make me trust you? Believe whatever comes out of those lips of yours?"

"My, dear Amelia, you have grown up and matured," she said, her voice sounding sweet and gentle again.

"What do you know about me?" Amelia spat, her blue eyes glaring at the hazel-green ones. Amelia was taking deep breaths to try to calm herself, but she never could when Justice needed to be served.

"I know many, many things, Amelia dear. I knew your mother -" At this, Amelia felt rooted to her spot, her mind whirling around emotions and memories. Had Reirs just said she had known her mother? "- Listen to me, Amelia. You're in danger, you, and one of your friends-"

"Stop it!" Amelia yelled, shaking. "The only reason I'm in danger is because you -"

 "You're not even safe from your own mind, Amelia!"

"Stop acting as if you know me!! You don't know who I am! You have no idea what I've been through!" Amelia stepped closer towards the door, her hands clenched at her sides. She wanted to go home, she wanted everything to go back to normal. She had been so stupid to leave her friends like that, to not go home as soon as she had escaped.

"You're going to tear down everything you love and cherish, if you're not careful," Reirs said loudly. Calmly, her face full of understanding, she said, "Someone is really after you, Amelia. I really don't want to tell you, but…I had you kidnapped so that you and your friends wouldn't get hurt. I don't want that person to get you."

For a moment, a dreadfully loud silence filled the room. Amelia glanced at the table in front of her, full of food, and then her eyes flew back to the woman in front of her. "Why?! So that you can get me instead?" Amelia said, her voice rising. _Does she expect me to believe her? Just like that??_ Amelia refused to believe what Reirs was telling her – it had to be a lie.

Reirs moved closer towards Amelia, but Amelia lifted her hands as if to cast a spell, so the woman stayed where she was, and clutched at the table with her long, slender fingers. "You've been having nightmares a lot now, haven't you? It's in your mind now…it's going to try to play with your head. You'll have to know what is the truth, and what are the lies. You'll have to be able to tell reality from illusion. The person after you…. that person is the same one who killed your mother, Amelia! They want to finish their job! And now, all of a sudden, you remember that moment when she died. They're after you, Amelia!! You **and** your friends. And to get to your friends, they'll use you." Reirs voice was quiet. She said those last words so softly that Amelia had to strain in order to hear her.

"I-I don't believe you…"Amelia whispered, shaking her head. The woman was mad…insane…Amelia moved even closer to the door, her hands still raised in front of her.

"You don't have to believe me, Amelia dear. You don't have to, but you should."

Images flooded Amelia's mind. Images of her mother, dead. Of blood…how she hated blood. _Make it stop! Make it go away!_ "How do you know these things? Who are you?" Amelia asked softly. _Do I really believe her? She could be lying, but… No… she might not be lying. _

"I told you, Amelia, I know many, many things. I'm very sorry. You've already been through so much for a 17 year old. You're almost 18, am I right?"

"Who are you?" Amelia repeated quietly. She was so close to the door; all she had to do was take a few more steps, and then she could run out of the room, and out of the house…

"I told you already, Amelia. I am Reirs."

Amelia looked at her hand; she was still holding her mothers ring, the one Reirs had given her. Tears filled her sky-blue eyes. Her and her friends were in danger. The person who killed her mother was after her. And her friends.

She was the crown Princess of Saillune. The one who had too many hard duties and responsibilities resting on her shoulders. The one who had to get married before she turned 18. The one who hadn't seen her friends in ages, and when she did, had ended up running away from them. The one who had left her father, left her people, left her home. The one who made everyone worry about her. The one who had been kidnapped. The one whose mother had been killed, and whose sister had run away. The one who didn't have a normal life. The one who had wanted to be free, and now found comfort only in a dirty brown blanket. The one whose mind was constantly troubled. The one who didn't want to disappoint. The one who tried to uphold Justice. The one who wanted to go on adventures again. The one who was now being chased. The one who was now running. The one who had once said that she had wanted to die, and who now strived to live….

…And it was then that her world crumbled…

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She yawned and stretched, and could feel her legs rub against the soft covers on top of her. _Much better than just sleeping outside…_Her eyes searched the room, taking everything in. A chair, a window on the other wall, a dresser, and a bowl of water with a white towel beside it. She sighed, not wanting to get up, but knowing that she had to get a head start if she was going to reach Saillune.

She walked over to the bowl first and washed her face, then went on to brush her red hair. _I hope Amelia is all right. I'm sure she is…Zel's the one who went to look for her…_A smirk played on her lips. _I wonder when those two are gonna admit that they like each other._ She then quickly dressed, the smell of breakfast wafting over to her room. Her stomach grumbled and she gave it a quick pat. "Breakfast time!" Lina said happily as she pulled on her boot, and then walked out the door.

She walked through the hallway, a content look on her face. She had taken a long, hot bath the night before, and was almost certain that Zel had found Amelia safely. But she was still a bit worried about Amelia's behaviour. One minute she was her happy, optimistic self, and the next, she was more depressed than even Zelgadis. Lina was so caught up with her thoughts as she headed for the stairs that she bumped into someone.

"Watch it!" she yelled, bringing her arm up as if to punch someone; but instead of giving someone a black eye, she began to blush furiously. Gourry stood in front of her, a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair wet. Water dripped from his golden hair to the floor, as he rubbed his bare chest where Lina had just knocked into him. 

"Oi, sorry Lina! Didn't see you there."

"What do you mean, you 'didn't see me there'?!?" she yelled at him, still embarrassed, and even more so because she had blushed so much. "W-well, you'd better hurry up and get dressed…I'll order breakfast downstairs." And with that, she took off quickly to reach the stairs, where, when he showed up, they began their morning ritual of pigging out on their 3 portion servings of everything.

And though they didn't know it, both Lina and Gourry had they same thought pass through their minds at the same time: _Amelia was fine._

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*AN: Ok, is anyone OOC in this chapter? I'm worried that Amelia is. Gah, this hurts my head! All this worrying is gonna give me wrinkles! o.O Look at me! I'm a mess! Oh well… So, what'd you think of this chapter?? Good/Bad/Ok/Horrible/Amazing?? Hey, common people, a plot is developing here…just, very slowly. You people should be thankful that these chapters have all come so quickly. But now, the chapters are going to take longer *pouts* 

And in case anyone is wondering, I do have a life! I've read 4 books (almost done my 5th), I've watched who knows how many movies, drawn a few pics (some of them of the slayers themselves), went out to some hair show thingy, **and** I've written these many chapters in less than two weeks ^_^ I'm just a very busy girl *grins*

--- Keep those reviews a-coming! All hail anyone who reviews this fic! I'm writing this for you people ^^ I'll name my rain dances after you people…as soon as I make up my own rain dances…I love you peeps! Thnx so much for reviewing. You love me, you really love me!


	8. Zel's Search

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**Chapter 8: Zel's search**

The grass crushed beneath the weight of their feet as they moved quickly through the glade. The morning sun beat down on them, trying to slow them down, but they continued on, their pace never slowing. They were so close to Saillune; she could almost see it. The sorceress and the swordsman had both been talking quite animatedly during the morning, except now a quiet silence followed them. It was Gourry who decided to break the silence first.

"Ummm….Lina? Do you think Zel's found Amelia by now?"

The redhead looked thoughtfully at the blond beside her. "You know, I have a pretty good a feeling that he did find her. Look, Saillune should just be beyond this hill…"

They continued their steady pace upwards, the thick summer air now trying to blow them away. They were so close to seeing the white walls of the city of Saillune….

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Amelia's eyes stung from crying the whole night before. She felt she had nothing left in her, no fight, no nothing, not even the will to cry. She felt tired, and drifted in and out of consciousness. It came to the point where she couldn't tell if she was dreaming or if she was awake. Her mind was littered with emotions; pain, torment, fear, anger, anguish, sadness, dismay…she could go on forever. Her mind was filled with incomprehensible whispers, her life now seeming almost ethereal. It couldn't be possibly happening…_it couldn't…_

_And where has Reirs gone? _She asked herself. Had there even been such a person as Reirs? Maybe she was right there, but Amelia couldn't see her. Everything was such a blur. And she felt so tired. She felt as if she'd lost everything, everyone; she was left with nothing, and she had no one. Her mind began to wander aimlessly, and she slowly felt herself begin to drift back into unconsciousness, where she hoped her mind would rest, but knew that no matter what it wouldn't.

-------------------------------- 

Zelgadis found himself in a small town, a town he had been in before. Tyrilles, it was called. W_hy do I even remember the name of this small town?_ He hadn't stayed for very long the last time he had been in the town. In fact, he had only stayed one night. _I shouldn't really rest here…I should still be looking for Amelia. Lina and Gourry are probably at Saillune right now._ The sun was disappearing behind the horizon, the last of its light kissing the small town's ground, and the building's rooftops before it disappeared. The sky began to grow increasingly dark.

He kept his face hidden by his mask and hood, keeping his eyes downcast. _Maybe Amelia was here…I should probably ask someone if they've seen her._ He made his way over to the tavern, where he asked for a room and ordered a coffee. He sat down in a dark corner of the room, trying to stay hidden. _Why did I even give it back to her,_ he thought to himself as he stared into his coffee, the steam rising slowly from the rim of the white mug. _Why did it upset her so much? _He sighed, guessing the answer. _She gave it to me as a sign of our friendship, and so that I would one day return to Saillune to give it back to her. It was a gift, and I refused it. Some friend I am…_

He sipped his coffee, the hot liquid travelling down his throat to rest in his stomach. _Maybe I've been ignoring my friends for too long. I'll probably never find that stupid cure anyways…damn that Rezo! _He glared into his cup, and could see Rezo's face reflected in it. He almost broke the cup in his hand until he saw another face reflected on its black surface to look up at him; Amelia.

His eyes held an anxious and worried look, and the waitress approached him a bit warily. She wasn't sure what to make of a man wearing a hood and sitting in the darkest corner of the room, but his expression made him look almost helpless. He still looked very intimidating, but she convinced herself to walk over to him. She stood beside him for a while, but he didn't seem to notice, so she cleared her throat.

Zelgadis looked up to see a very lovely young woman with long blond locks, and bright blue eyes. Her body was very shapely, and she was almost as tall as Zelgadis. _Her black hair looks more like soft velvet than these golden locks, and her eyes are a much prettier and brighter blue. Her body's also much more shapely…she's nothing compared to her, really…_and then her realized what he was doing. He was comparing the young woman beside him to Amelia. He mentally whacked himself; he wasn't supposed to compare one girls beauty to the beauty of his friend, if he was even allowed to still call her that after what he did.

"I'm very, very…. sorry, Sir," the young woman began, looking a little uncomfortable. "You don't look too well…. are you alright? Would you like me to get you something?"

_My cure, maybe,_ he thought to himself, but out loud he said, "Oh, no…well, actually, I'd like to ask you something. Have you seen a young woman, with short black hair and blue eyes? 

The young girl looked thoughtful for a moment, tilting her head to the side, her long gold locks seeming to ripple in the light. "Nope, sorry, I haven't seen anyone. But there's been talk about a strange girl who was wandering around the streets yesterday. Maybe she's the one you're looking for…"

Zelgadis nodded, taking in this information. Giving the young girl a small tip, drinking the last of his coffee and pulling back on his mask, he walked swiftly out of the tavern's door without one word.

He found himself outside, the sky completely black, except for the dim light illuminating from the moon, hidden behind a dark cloud. _I won't be able to ask around to see if anyone has seen Amelia if its dark outside. I really should wait until morning…_Taking one last sweeping look of the sleeping city, he entered the tavern again and went to his room for the night. He tried to keep Amelia out of his mind, but he couldn't.

He lay in bed for hours; he couldn't seem to fall asleep. All he could think about was Amelia. _She probably hates me. But then again, I doubt she ever really thought of me as more than a friend, even when she had that crush on me. I almost miss her little justice speeches and her small gestures of kindness. If L-sama gave me a gift, it was probably the gift to stick my damn foot in my mouth. Damn it all!_

He sat up in his bed, and, feeling completely restless, began to pace his room. _Why won't she leave me alone?!_ _What kind of monster am I??? _"Damn it!_" _He yelled, punching the wall hard and leaving a big hole in its wake. "Damn it…" he whispered, looking at his hand. _My non-human hand…I'm not human. No matter what Amelia told me before, I'm not human. A human wouldn't have done what I did. A human is a friend. A human isn't a thing like me._

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to rest, he left his room, went down the stairs, and left the tavern door, hoping that some fresh air would help. But if he wasn't a friend, then why did he care so much? _I never wanted to hurt her. I thought that if she never saw me again, her silly crush on me would fade away, and then she wouldn't get hurt. She'd get married to some prince who would be able to take care of her. A person who could comfort her. Even if I found my cure, I'd probably still hurt her. Why does it even matter? Why do I even care about that now? I have to find her, and right now, that's the only thing that matters. She's the only thing that matters…_

He stopped, noticing that he had been pacing. _What am I thinking? I don't feel that way about her. Zelgadis, get a hold of yourself. _And he stood outside in the night, leaning against the side of the tavern completely confused, trying to sort out his feelings.

----------------------------

Where was she now? She couldn't tell…she couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't feel. Was she even walking, or moving? She didn't know that either. Everything was a blur of colours, all she could hear was the silent whispers in her head, and the empty screams in there as well. _Was everything just a dream? It seems like it's been a hundred days since the last time I cried. And even longer since the last time I cared for anyone. They've left me all alone, and I hate them all…don't I? No, I want them to come and hold me. Father…Mother…maybe even my sister…and my friends…_

She didn't even know if she was alive. Or which way was up and which way was down. _Where did Reirs go? I still need to ask her some things…_And then her mind was filled with images and sounds again. Blood…her mother…the screaming…_so much screaming…no, stop…I don't like seeing this over and over…_"Reirs!" Amelia screamed, or tried to scream, tried to yell out. "Reirs, make it stop!! Help me, Reirs, help me!!"

She couldn't even tell if she was screaming. She couldn't even tell if she was awake. She couldn't tell if she was warm or cold…but she knew one thing…. at that moment, she was scared….

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*AN: Hi all! *grins* This chapter is weird, no? I can't seem to write about Zelgadis….I can't seem to get him right. I'm not too happy about this chapter, but I guess I was happy enough to post it. I think I'll leave it up to you guys to tell me whether anyone is OOC, or if there's anything you want or something. Like more Zel. More Lina and Gourry. Or, better yet, more Phil! o.O Whatever it is, just ask, and I'll try. Zel will have a longer and bigger role from now on, and hopefully I'll be able to write his character properly! ^__^ Oh, and sorry about this chapter being so short!!!

-----Thanks to you all for reviewing! I love you all!! I hope you guys at least thought this chapter was ok. Criticize me all you want people, as long as its not necessarily a flame ^__^ Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading this fic AND for reviewing! You guys/girls are the greatest! Keep those reviews coming, and I'll keep these chapters coming!! Till next time! 

-Vivi -----


	9. Sleepless Night

**Chapter 9: Sleepless Night **

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"I'm just so restless, and I think I know why. But I won't admit it, not even to myself…" 

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Zel got up out of the bed, having not had any rest the night before. He had no idea how long he had stayed outside the night before, but it hadn't really helped much. He got up, still dressed in his normal clothing, and, taking his sword, he left the room.

He padded down the poorly lit hall, and down the wooden steps. The bare yellow walls seemed dull, the doors he had passed old and worn. Snippets of conversations of the people eating in the tavern reached his ears, but he paid them no attention as he swiftly left through the taverns doors, finding himself surrounded by the bright light of the hot summer morning. 

People walked around, some chatting merrily while others walked quickly to the place they were heading. Zelgadis walked among them, and remembering what he had heard from the waitress the night before, walked to an elderly woman sweeping in front of a small yet cosy looking house. Her grey hair was up in a messy ponytail, and her eyes looked up as she saw the stranger walk towards her. Leaning against the broom, she watched him come nearer.

"Excuse me, Miss, but I'm looking for a friend of mine. She's a young woman, with short black hair and blue eyes. I heard there was a strange girl roaming the streets of your small town, and I think it might be her."

The old lady looked at the chimera for a moment, before she answered him. "Yes, that strange girl everyone was talking about does have short black hair, although she kept her eyes down, and with my poor eyesight, I couldn't tell what colour they were. It's being said around town that she followed a young woman to her house, but that's just a rumour."

Zelgadis nodded, taking it all in. "Do you know who this woman is? The one who took in my friend?"

The old lady sighed and shook her head, and began to sweep again. "I'm afraid I have no idea. You should ask some younger people around town; they're much better when it comes to stuff such as gossip."

Mumbling his thanks to the small old woman, he continued to walk through the town, looking around at everyone, trying to see if he could find Amelia walking through the crowds of people on the street. He searched the town, asking almost everyone he saw if they had seen her, but many just replied that they had no idea what had happened to the strange girl, or which lady it was she had followed.

Zelgadis returned to the tavern when night fell, knowing that he was well beyond tired from his long search in the scorching summer heat, and knowing that he wouldn't be able to find her in the dark. He didn't want to leave the small town; he had a feeling that Amelia was there…_I just know it…_

After drinking some hot coffee, he headed back towards his room, feeling more depressed than ever. He seemed to drag his feet up the stairs and through the hall to his room, where he closed the door behind him. _I don't understand…why did my giving back of her bracelet affect her so much and make her so mad? She had told me to give it back, hadn't she? _His hand moved towards his canteen of water, but his fingers couldn't find what they were looking for: Amelia's bracelet. "Because I gave it back," he said, taking his fingers away.

_She'd given it to me as a sign of friendship. She'd given it to me when she had had that silly little crush. I would've thought that after all these years her crush for me would've ebbed away with time, but maybe it hasn't. Maybe her little crush for me never did go away…and then, maybe I'm just using it as an excuse to why she ran away._

"Damn," he muttered under his breath, sitting on his bed. _Where in L-sama's name is she? _Sighing, he looked around his dark room. The bed had been made, not that he had actually slept in it the night before. He sighed again, knowing that he wouldn't be able to get any sleep. All he could think of was…_her…_

"Damnit, I've got to stop thinking about her," he said aloud. "It's not going to help any if that's all I do." _Besides,_ he thought to himself, _I'm only thinking about her because I'm worried about her, that's all…_

Looking around his dark room again, his mind filled with images of Amelia. Of the first time they had met and she had called him 'creepy looking', and of the other time later on when she had called him cool.

The time she had jumped in front of him to protect him from Copi Rezo, and the time Saygram had hurt her badly and she had been bleeding…_damn mazoku…_Zelgadis shook his head; he never wanted to see her like that ever again.

__

_She's so different from the way she was back then…but maybe it's just me. No, she hasn't changed all that much, she's just matured. But, I guess she still has changed a little, but definitely matured. Both inside and out…_

Zelgadis blushed and mentally kicked himself. _Don't think of her like that, Zel._ He shook his head, trying to get those thoughts of her out of his head. _I don't even deserve to think of her like that. And why would I? She's just a friend, if I can still be called a friend. What kind of friend would hurt her? _He sighed, and put his hand under his chin._ No, I just think of her that way because…because…because she's always on my mind. And she's always on my mind because I feel guilty because she ran away because I was a jerk._

He sighed again; something he seemed to be doing a lot of lately. Zelgadis got up from the bed and walked over to the window, his gaze resting on the moon outside. The moon was set high in the clear, star-filled sky, and the hot night summer air filled his lungs.

He felt the sword at his side, and the thought of sparring came to his mind. _Maybe that will clear my mind for a moment. I've got to do something to stop thinking about her. Not that she's all I think about, _he added as he left his dark room and headed down the tavern's almost eerily quiet halls.

Zelgadis left the tavern, the night air sweet and musky as he walked to an open field behind the tavern. A lone tree stood close to the tavern on the otherwise empty green field, its branches held high, casting a shadow on the grass below. He walked towards the tree, and stopped when he stood underneath its high branches. He began to unclasp his cape, letting the beige material fall to the ground.

He next took off his beige shirt, dropping that to the ground as well as he took out his sword from the scabbard at his waist. The blue stones on his body seemed to glisten from the small light that came from the moon above, as he swung his sword. His muscles moved and bunched as he thrust his sword this way and that. His muscles obeyed every command, as he brought the sword in front of himself, and then began to move with it. It was like a dance, a dance he had practiced many times before, where his partner was the sword he held in front of him.

His body moved with the sword, his stone-skinned body beginning to glisten with sweat. He slashed it to the left, then to the right, moving the sword first slowly and then quickly, the blade reflecting the rays of the moon.

For a moment, he forgot about her, about how he made her run away and about how he was supposed to find her. But his mind wouldn't let him forget for long, and soon she began to fill his thoughts once more. He finished, holding his sword, his feet in a stance he had grown used to. He dropped his sword to his side, before putting it back in his scabbard. He thought of the way her voice sounded, the way her hips curved and her hair shone. The way her eyes laughed whenever she was happy, and the way she moved and smiled. The way she had looked at him when he had given back her bracelet. The way she had been hurt by him…

"Damn!" he spat under his breath. The sweat still glistened on his blue stone skin, the outline of his muscles visible if anyone were to see him up close. His lavender hair swayed in the warm breeze that passed him, the heat of the summer night and his tiredness trying to get the better of him.

_I should try to go to sleep…tomorrow I have to look for her again. _He picked up his beige cape and shirt, and walked back into the tavern where he hoped he could rest. He walked once more through the silent hall, and made his way to his dark and shadowed room. He took of his boots, and slid under the cool covers, and closed his eyes. But even with his eyes closed, and with the comfortable bed he lay on, he wasn't able to fall asleep for a long while.

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*AN: Hello, hello! I'm so sorry it took so long for this chapter to come, I've just been busy with school! And look! One whole chapter with only Zelgadis!! Shocking, no?

And I would've written more, except its 12:07 right now and I'm really tired. And sorry about this chapter being so short! I'm too tired to write more!

Guess you're right, MysteriousBloodSuckingMoogle, maybe I shouldn't criticize my work so much. So, I'm gonna shut up and leave that to my reviewers! Oh, and to kaerra, I really do hope I can add Filia and Xellos. I'll try adding them in somewhere, but it'll probably be later than sooner. To MoroTheWolfGod, I hope this was enough Zelgadis for you for the moment *grins* Also, thanks to ryoko11 and Lauren-sama for their supportive reviews and their comments and opinions. Thnx to Sailor Vamp for making me laugh. I'll be sure to tell Zel that he's an ass and I'll tell Amelia to get it together. Thankies to Kawai Fox for reviewing and for pointing out that I don't write enough ^__^ 

Whoa, this is getting long! *takes a breath* Thanks to Minimerc for wanting more and for asking all those questions ^^ You'll just have to wait for the answer. Thanks to Vincelia Valentine for reading the third chapter on my site before I posted it; I wasn't sure about it, and I was thinking of writing a new chapter 3 altogether, but you made me want to keep it. *grins* And thanks to KellyChan and Grey, for being two of the first people who ever reviewed this fic! Thanks to all of you, you guys are the greatest! 

Oh, and is it mazoku or mazuko? I think its mazoku, but I wanna know if I'm right. Now, I'm gonna go to sleep. Till next time! –Vivi Laney


	10. The Wanderer

   Chapter 10: The Wanderer 

The sun was ruthless as it beat down upon her body. Her white cloak flapped in the summer breeze as her long golden hair flew about her face. She entered the town, her feet switching from walking on a dirt road to the stone one of the town. She looked solemn, walking into the nearby tavern to find something to drink and for a place to get out of the relentless sun. Her legs were hidden beneath a long pink dress as she walked towards the bar.

The tavern was large and filled with voices; some people by the front of the tavern were laughing, while a group near the back were whispering among themselves. The windows were large, where the dust danced in the rays of sun coming into the room. The building was wooden; a wooden floor that was almost nearly spotless, wooden tables, a wooden bar, wooden beams in the high ceiling for support, and wooden stairs leading to a landing above, where anyone could see people leaving their rooms. The walls were brown, making it seem as if the whole place was made entirely out of wood. Walking past the tables where people sat laughing loudly, the woman walked up to the bar.

"Hello," came her soft voice, her hand moving to her face to brush away her gold hair. The bar tender nodded in return, his hands busy cleaning a glass behind the counter that separated the two. She continued past the bar to a wooden table, and sat herself down with a sigh. Many men turned to look at her for a moment before they continued with their meals. A young waitress with short brown hair and green eyes approached her table. 

"I'd like some tea, please," she asked from her seat, where she felt grateful in the cool tavern. The waitress nodded and left quickly, leaving her alone to her thoughts. Her eyes clouded with worry, and she mentally kicked herself for ever leaving her home. _Oh, I do hope he's all right, _she thought to herself, boring a hole into the table with her eyes and she stared blankly at it. _If that stupid namagomi even touches him, I'll!…_She banged her fist against the table, and her other hand found her mace-sama hidden beneath her pink skirt.

Everyone in room looked up at her, startled. Their eyes roamed from her to the mace held in her hand. Some of the men got up from their tables and slowly left the tavern, their eyes never leaving the angry woman. The waitress hesitated, then inched up slowly with a teapot and cup in her hands.

"Ummm…M-Miss? H-here's your…your tea," she said, her voice dripping with fear as she quickly dropped the teapot and cup in front of the angry blond. Filia sighed, and, seeing the tea in front of her, began to calm down. She put her mace back under her skirt, and poured herself a cup, sipping it slowly and savouring the feel of hot tea running down her throat. "Maybe I shouldn't have left Val alone with Jillas…my poor Val, I shouldn't have left him. That namagomi is gonna get it if I find out that he's been around MY Val!"

She took another sip, trying to calm herself down. She'd left Sairaag a month ago, and was worried that she had been away for too long. "But Amelia's missing, and I have to find her. Besides, Sylphiel is probably watching Val along with Jillas." She took another sip, finding herself calming down with each one she took. The hot liquid felt good as it traveled down her throat. 

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After drinking the whole pot of tea, Filia felt as if she should continue on her search for the lost Princess. The sun was just as relentless as ever when she stepped outside, and she felt as if she were carrying a dead elephant on her back. The sun continued to beat down on her, even when she walked through a trail that lay inside a forest. Not even a canopy of trees could save her from the heat. Her golden hair was plastered to her face, and she stopped beneath the shade of a tree to wipe her hair from her rosy cheeks.

Her pink dress clung to her because of the heat and humidity, her white cloak wearing her down. She took off her white cloak and was about to sit in the somewhat cool shade of the tree. _That namagomi better not be part of Amelia's kidnapping…and he better not be near Val! Oooh, that namagomi just gets on my nerves when I think about him-_

There was a sound, and a feeling began to fill her entire body; a feeling she was both used to and hated. Filia's angry thoughts stopped midway as she heard a noise. She took her mace and swung around quickly, only to have the object of her thoughts standing right there.

"My dear Filia, you're looking quite…hot today, ne?" asked the purple haired and happy looking Xellos.

_Oh L-sama, not him! NOT HIM!! _"What are you doing here, namagomi?" She didn't feel like putting up with him; it was too hot and she was too tired. "And don't call me 'dear'!" She swung her mace at him, but he disappeared and reappeared beside her, still smiling that same annoying smile.

"My dear Filia, I'm glad to see you too!"

"Go away, Xellos, I don't have time for you. Go back to your Beastmaster."

"Oh, but my dear Filia, I only came to see how you're doing." His face still held that smile, and the longer she looked at it, the more she wanted to pound in his face with her mace. "Besides, Mistress Beastmaster doesn't need me at the moment. Although," he added, his smile becoming wider, "I might have something interesting to tell you…"

"I don't want to hear anything you have to say, namagomi. And stop calling me 'dear'!" Her fists curled up into tight balls at her sides, one of which still held her beloved mace. She was swimming in rage now, and it was all that namagomi tricksters fault. Did he have horrible timing, or what? It was enough that he had made a few visits before when he dropped by her antique shop now and then, but now, of all times? He would pay dearly…just, not at that exact moment.

Xellos reached out and lightly touched her nose with his finger, and avoided another swing Filia took at him. "Now, now, Filia dear, there's no reason to get all worked up."

"I'm NOT all worked up, you stupid namagomi priest!"

"Oh?" He said, opening his eyes slightly, his purple pupils showing through the cracks of his eyelids. "Then why, Fi-chan, is your tail showing?"

Filia looked at herself to see that he was right, and blushed, her face turning a light crimson. _Oh, he's going to get it. Stupid namagomi…he's probably enjoying this right now._ "What do you want, namagomi? You're wasting my time!"

"Well, I told you I only came to see how you were doing, Filia dear. My, you look so worked up," he said, smiling that smile of his. _Oh, I'll give him something to smile about,_ Filia thought sinisterly, as she glared at the mazoku in front of her. "And," he continued, "I thought I'd give you some advice!"

Filia laughed out loud; a high, mocking laugh. She almost had tears in her eyes from laughing so hard…almost. "Hah! You, give **me** advice? A golden dragon like me doesn't need advice from a **stupid ugly namagomi mazoku** like you!"

"Why thank you Fi-chan!" Xellos piped.

Filia, ignoring his comment, continued. "A **rock** would give me better advice than you! Now, Xellos…what do you really want???"

"Now Fi-chan…I'm hurt! And I already told you what it is I'm doing here…"

"Save it. Fine, I'll hear you out. But…why do you want to give me advice?"

"Ah…Sore wa himitsu desu!" He replied, holding up one finger and giving her his infamous smile. 

"NAMAGOMI!!!!!" Filia shrieked, swinging her mace violently but once again missing.

"My dear Filia, how violent you are! Tsk, tsk," she said, picking up her white cloak. The sun was slowly beginning to set as the end of the day drew near, but it was still quite high in the sky. He threw her cloak back at her, and she caught it, her face completely red and her tail swishing around as violently as her mace had been. "Its just advice…And I just want to give it to you, Fi-chan."

"Then…give…it!" she spat, glaring at him intensely.

"My Filia, how cute you look when you're mad!" She lifted up her mace, and he held up his hands as if he surrendered, but she still swung at him, and once again, she missed. The things the heat could do to a girl, especially when tired.

"Well, seeing that little Val isn't with you, I'm guessing you're looking for Amelia, am I right?" he asked, leaning on his staff that he held in his white-gloved hand.

"Oh, no, I'm just out picking berries!" she yelled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Her golden tail pounded at the ground behind her, and she fought the urge to change into her ryuzoku form and burn him to a crisp. _No, I refuse to let him see me naked, even for one second! _

"Well, I suggest you stop looking."

"What?? You think I'm going to listen to you, namagomi?? Why should I?"

"I have a good reason…or else I probably wouldn't have gone through the trouble of telling you."

"Oh, yes you would. You just LOVE negative emotions and whatnot, and you absolutely enjoy it when I get upset! You would've come to bug me anyways!!"

"True, true, dear Filia, quite true," he replied, looking quite calm, unlike the golden dragon that stood before him. "But," he continued, opening his eyes to gaze into hers, "I have a very good reason, Fi-chan. I suggest you go to Saillune, and meet up with Lina and Gourry."

"What? Meet with Lina and Gourry in Saillune?" She eyed him warily. "Why should I believe a namagomi like you?"

"You don't have to believe me, Filia. I'm only giving you some advice."

Filia sighed heavily, and dropped her mace to her side. She knew that Xellos never really lied, but there was always something else about whatever he said. He twisted the truth, and he most likely twisted what he was telling her, also. _OOOH! How he gets on my nerves!!! But…what if he's serious…what if he's telling the truth?…_

"Why?? Why should I meet up with them?" she asked, her voice sounding tired.

"Sore wa himitsu desu!" he replied, his eyes closed once more and smiling, as he began to disappear.

And a clear, shrill scream rang throughout the trees, causing all the birds resting in the branches to fly up, and all the people of the town nearby to turn their heads towards the forest.

"**NAMAGOMIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"**

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Zelgadis returned to the tavern once again, after yet another day of searching and asking the townsfolk. He began to doubt that Amelia was even in the town anymore, or that she was even near, but something made him stay. He sighed, not knowing what to do.

"It's all my fault she ran," he said quietly as he sat at a table in the tavern. He sipped his hot coffee, relishing in the feeling of the hot liquid traveling down his throat. _At least I know I can still feel…_

_Where could she have gone? I've checked nearly half the houses in the town! I thought this place was small…_He heaved a sigh, and stared into his dark coffee. _I've got to get her off my mind…she just keeps haunting me, as if…as if she's…_He shook his head violently. _No, she can't be. How can I even think about that? She's fine, I know it._

He finished the last of his coffee and walked up the wooden steps and into the dark hall. It seemed like forever to him before he finally reached the door to his room. He inched the door open, and found the bed made and the room tidy. He walked slowly to his bed, and kicking off his boots, he lay down. _I probably won't get any sleep…I hardly got any the night before. _He went under the cool covers, and turned in the bed to stare out the window, but all he could see was the dark sky.

He closed his eyes, not wanting to think of her. Anything but her. He was just worried about her, nothing else. And he was guilty because he was the reason she had run away. _Damn it, I'm NOT supposed to be thinking about her._

But she was the sole thing that filled his every thought, and he blamed himself more and more for her disappearance. _It's all my fault she ran…I'm a monster. It's all my fault, I have to find her, and tell her I'm sorry. But she'd never forgive me, and who would? And I can never forgive myself. I'm a cruel, heartless mercenary swordsman, with no heart what so ever._

_I hurt everyone close to me. It's all my fault. Why did I ever do that to her? What was I thinking? I'll be lucky if she even wants to look at me ever again. I'm not a human…just a monster, with no heart. All I do is cause pain…I am pain…and…it's…all…my…fault…_

And as sleep began to wash over him, he could only see…_those startlingly blue eyes…_And her image filled his head as he slept an uneasy sleep, cursing himself for what he was…_a monster_.

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*AN: Hiyas! Well, I think I like this chapter! I have to thank my brother for reading over Filia and Xellos' conversation, and for assuring me that it was good characterization and that it was slightly funny. 

And is it ryuzoku? I'd really appreciate it if someone told me how its spelt. ^__^

Thanks to Ryo Hoshi, Lauren-sama and MoroTheWolfGod for assuring me that its 'mazoku' *grins* And sorry, Moro, that Zel didn't have too big a part in this chapter, but he'll have a bigger one next time, I swear! *grins again* And to Winged Dancer; I guess we sorta portray Zelgadis in the same way, no? It's just so fun when he's in denial like that! And to Lauren again, I'm glad you really think that my characterization is good ^^ And there's no need to be sorry! I'm glad enough that you read my fic!

At first I was a bit worried about Filia and Xellos, but now that I think about it, I'm really happy with how they turned out. I'm also happy with the length of this chapter! YAY!!

Thank you so much to anyone who's reviewed! I love all of your encouraging reviews; they really keep me going! I'm going to make monuments of all of you…after I finish this fic, or course! *smiles* Toodles! –Vivi Laney


	11. So Close Yet So Far

**Chapter 11: So Close Yet So Far…**

"NOOO!" He yelled, struggling to move towards her. She was so close, yet so far away. She'd been thrown to the ground, her body covered with cuts and bruises. She was sprawled on the floor, her blue eyes staring into his. His friend…she was hurt, and it was all his fault. He tried to reach her, but he couldn't. She mouthed to him, her eyes filled with pain and sorrow; _Run. Run, Zelgadis, run…don't come any nearer! Please, run!_

"NO!" He yelled again, stretching his arms vainly, trying to reach her. It was his fault this was happening, all his fault. He truly was a monster. "AMELIA!!" 

A darkness crept up behind her, taking her away from him. His friend…he was going to lose her. Why couldn't he move? She looked at his face, her expression grave and full of pain. Her face didn't hold the sweet, energetic look he was so used to. She wasn't happy anymore, wasn't full of energy, and he was to blame. It's a_ll my fault, it's all my fault, it's all my fault…_

She screamed, her voice piercing through his stone body, through his soul, through his heart. He'd almost lost her before with Phibrizzo…he didn't want to lose her again. The darkness continued to cover her, and she continued to scream in pain and fear. Their eyes locked again, and she whispered to him, "Please Zelgadis, I'll be alright. Just go…run…please…"

"No," he whispered, reaching out for her again. She still cared about others. She still had a heart of gold. And he was powerless…he couldn't do anything to help. He could only watch her disappear forever…_but what's the use of living without her?_ He asked himself. No, he didn't care about her like that! But he couldn't leave her…she was his friend…she was Amelia…and he was the monster that brought this upon her.

The darkness continued to consume her, and the last he saw of her face would be glued into his mind forever. The painful, scared expression…he'd never see those startlingly blue eyes ever again. Her arm was outstretched, the only thing reaching for him. He reached out, they were so close…and her arm was swallowed. The only thing in front of him was darkness. Her olive skin wasn't there. Her raven-black hair wasn't there. Her blue eyes weren't there. She was gone. Gone…gone…gone. **Gone**…

"AMELI-AAAAAAAA!!!!!"

He shot up from his bed, only to find himself in the dark of his room, and put his head in his hands.

-------------------------------

Everything was spinning. All dark blurs mixed with light and sounds. She couldn't feel her arms or her legs, and she couldn't seem to breathe properly. Was she unconscious again? Her head throbbed, an immense pain seeming to flow through her every bone and vein. She fought to keep her eyes open, fought to stay awake. Pain shot through her every limb as she tried to scream, tried to call out. She tried to open her mouth, but it was clamped shut. Useless tries.

_Please make it stop, _Amelia thought to herself. _Please…_ She felt like crying again; something she had been doing a lot of lately. But her pitiful sobs were dry; she had shed enough tears already. How did she end up this way? She couldn't seem to remember. Where was she? She couldn't seem to remember that, either. Useless questions.

Her mind had shattered like glass, cutting anything that it touched. She had fallen into an abyss of nothing. She felt weak, hot and sweaty. Dizziness, pain, and sadness consumed her. Everything in her mind seemed distant, as if she was forgetting, forgetting her family, her friends, her city, her people, her life, herself…everything.

Everything she tried to remember was like a dim flicker; there only for a moment to see, and too far away to see clearly. 

Once again she tried to open her mouth, to say something, anything. She felt so weak and small…everything was such a blur to her.

"Reirs…Daddy…Lina…Gourry…Filia…Xellos…Shlyphiel…Zelgadis…" 

The words were barely a whisper as they left her cracked lips. She couldn't see a thing; everywhere she looked she saw only darkness. For a moment, only silent echoes rang through her ears.

Something cool touched her lips. Was it her imagination again? It was cold and wet, and slid through her parted lips down her throat. It was refreshing, and a sensation of sweetness washed over her. _Mmmm…so good…_And then it went away. The coolness of the sweet liquid was gone, just as quickly as it had come. But it had been a moment of some sort of bliss, for it made her feel alive for that one, tiny moment. 

Her head began to sway, her raven-black hair plastered to her smooth, burning olive skin. She wanted to drift back to the empty landscape that was her mind. She didn't want to swirl anymore in the waters of misery and pain. She wanted to walk along a mindless trail, and lose herself in an empty dream. Reality brought too much pain, too much suffering, too much longing…

_NO, _a part of her mind yelled back. _Reality is full of love, justice, and happiness. People who care about me, people I care about. I have to find them. Don't I??_ She didn't know what to think anymore. She didn't know what was right, and what was wrong. What she believed, and what she didn't. Her mind was a jumbled mess, a broken puzzle that she would have to put together again. _I don't belong here, do I? I belong home, in Saillune…don't I? But then, if I go back, everyone I care about won't be safe. They'll be in danger…all because of me…so I should just stay here, alone, right??_ Her mind fought with herself, a conflict that confused and tired her.

She opened her mouth again to say something, and a small mumble escaped her lips. Her life seemed to blur before her now dull blue unseeing eyes, and she felt herself fall. And everything suddenly rendered all black…and the words she had mumbled echoed through her mind…

"…I hate you…"

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Zelgadis was up and roaming the quiet streets before the sun could kiss the rooftops of the small town. He had still not been able to find her, and had started searching the town after waking up from his nightmare during the night. He hadn't been able to go to sleep, and he wanted to find her…fast. What if something had happened to her? But he started giving up hope…what if he couldn't find her? He'd been searching for days, and he hadn't found her…and it was such a small town, too…

_Everything I look for I can never find, _he thought to himself as he checked the same small alleys he had checked before. He dragged his feet through the stone cobbled streets, his eyes always searching for any sign of her…_anything…_

He checked the houses, the alleys, the streets, everywhere. He asked everyone he saw, even people he had asked before. He'd even asked the waitress from the tavern at least five times if she had heard anything else, but she always shook her head and sadly said no. Everyone in the town began to pity the strange stone man; men, woman and children watched him with sad eyes as he passed them.

He walked through the streets for the rest of the day, and found himself at the end of the small town as the sun was setting. A path led out of the town, and up a green hill. He didn't know why he hadn't searched there before. A house lay at the top, with no lights on, and an eerie silence seeming to come from the big house. It was the one place he hadn't yet checked, and it might be the house she was in…His hopes began to grow, and he began to walk towards the big house that lay at the top of the hill. _Amelia might just be there…I might just find her!…But…what if she isn't there? Don't think like that, Zelgadis. She has to be there…it's the one place in the entire town that I haven't checked. Then again, it isn't exactly in the town, but that doesn't matter. I might just find her…if you're there, Amelia, wait for me…please…_

Zelgadis began walking a bit faster, when something caught his attention. He heard a sound come from his right, and he turned swiftly around, his arm already drawing out his sword.

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Filia couldn't believe that night had already fallen, but she continued on anyways. She was in her golden dragon form, high up in the night sky as she headed for Saillune. She flew with urgent speed; something about Xellos' words had worried her.

_Stupid namagomi…why am I even listening to him? If this is all just a joke, my mace is going to smash in his ugly face. But he never really lies…oh, stupid mazoku! And my Val-kun…_ Xellos and Val were the two things that had occupied her mind the most ever since she had started out, and she was beginning to worry about Val. _Poor Val, I hope he's alright…That stupid mazoku better not touch him!_

Even though Val wasn't her real child, she loved him as if he was. _And if that namagomi comes so much as 10 ft close to my Val, I'll…_

Her mind switched to think about Amelia, and Filia hoped she was all right. _Maybe they've found her already._ And then her thoughts switched to Lina and Gourry. _I wonder why they've gone to Saillune…and why I have to go there as well…what does that namagomi know? Way more then the rest of us, I suppose. Damn that namagomi!!_

The ryuzoku continued to fly through the night sky, feeling herself tire increasingly fast, and she knew that she would have to stop to rest soon. She was so close to Saillune, and yet she felt that she wouldn't be able to get there as soon as she wished to. 

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*AN: Hello again! It's been a while, no? Sorry it's taken so long, but school's been getting in the way. So, what did you think of this chapter? I find it a bit dark, don't you? In fact, I'm starting to think that a lot of this fic has been dark! But, being the hopeless romantic that I am, there's a good chance that this fic will have a happy ending…but then again, you never know what my fingers will type next. And I'm sorry if this chapter is short! Bad me! The next chapter will be longer…I hope *grins*

I can't wait until the next chapter, because…well, I can't tell you! :p Tell me if you think this fic is dark, cause I want to know if you think that too. And there was no Lina, Gourry, OR Xellos in this chapter! *gasps* But I did that for a reason, I assure you. Well, maybe not with Xellos…he didn't show up because I couldn't figure out a way to fit him in here! I wonder if he'll show up next chapter…

And Zel STILL hasn't found Amelia! But I don't want him to find her just yet *cackles* You'll just have to wait. Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter. Don't forget to review!!!

And thnx to Zanne Chaos for reviewing! I'm glad that you and a lot of others liked Filia and Xellos' conversation! And thank you so much for saying that I have storytelling skills. ^_^ I think I'll thank everyone at least once if they review! *grins* And to KellyChan…good question ^_^ Can stone skin really sweat? I think it does…doesn't it? Thanks to anyone else who reviewed, I appreciate the fact that you take the time to write me a review! It means a lot, every single one!! SO if I didn't mention you for reviewing, don't take it the wrong way…every review I get is noted *grins* So thank you, every single one of you!!!

And, as always, I'd like to thank all of you for reviewing!! *grins* I think I should build a temple to go along with those monuments I'm going to make of you, no? ^_^ Well, till next time! –Vivi Laney


	12. Frozen

**Chapter 12: Frozen**

"Mr. Zelgadis?"

----------------------------

Amelia awoke, sweating heavily in the soft bed. Her black hair was plastered to her olive-skin, which now seemed paler than ever. Her face still felt hot, and her head still throbbed, but she was finally fully awake. "Where am I?" she whispered, feeling very dizzy, her blue eyes unfocused as they glanced around the room.

"Why, Amelia dear, you're in my house. I do believe you remember that, don't you?"

_That voice,_ Amelia thought to herself, her head throbbing even more as she tried to remember. _I know that voice…_

"Reirs?" she whispered, unsure of her voice. She coughed, and looked around the room until she found the figure to which the voice belonged. The woman's dark brown wavy hair was held up in a ponytail, but the sides of her hair still formed a braided crown about her head. "W-wha…" Amelia started, but was cut off by Reirs sweet, gentle and soothing voice.

"Hush, Amelia dear. You've been sick for these past days. A very bad fever." She took a white cloth and gently placed the cold damp cloth upon Amelia's forehead.

"How many days?" She asked, her mind still a bit blurry. _Was I really sick? Can I even trust Reirs?? What happened that night…oh, I shouldn't assume anything…at least not yet. She seems nice enough…but why can't I seem to trust her?_

Reirs gracefully sat down on a chair next to the bed, and gently placed her hands in her lap. "Why, I believe its been about four days now, if I'm not mistaken. Five, once night falls."

Reirs was making her confused. _Five once night falls?_ _Oh, it must be because I arrived at night…or something._ Her mind was still buzzing around in her head, and thinking still hurt. She looked at the foot of the bed she lay in, and saw her brown blanket hanging there. And it was clean, looking almost brand new again.

Reirs followed her gaze, and said "I had my servants clean it up a bit. I hope you don't mind, Amelia dear."

Amelia was beginning to dislike the term 'dear'. Looking down at herself, she realized that she was no longer wearing the dirty, worn out and ripped up silk nightgown she had been wearing before. In its place was a dark blue and very plain dress, reaching to her ankles. The sleeves were short, the top cut into a V-neck, and fitting nicely to her form. 

"I do hope you like the dress I picked for you, Amelia dear. It shouldn't get in your way too much. If you'd like anything else, something you'd find more comfortable…"

"I'd like my nightgown back, please," she asked, feeling a bit bad for wearing her hosts clothing. _Maybe she isn't so bad after all…_

Reirs giggled softly, and her hazel-green eyes rested on Amelia's big blue ones. "I'm afraid I've thrown it out. I'm quite sorry, Amelia dear, but it was already ruined. It was quite torn up. I'm not surprised you got sick, being out in the rain wearing something like that."

Amelia sighed, looking out the window. It was then that she remembered what Reirs had told her that night…_is it really true?_

"Ummm…Reirs…about what you said to me before…about…" she hesitated, feeling uncomfortable. 

"About your mother? Your dreams? How you're not safe?" Reirs seemed extremely calm, and it bugged Amelia a bit.

"Yes…about that…was what you said true? Am I…" she swallowed hard. "Am I really not safe? Is someone really after me? And my friends?"

Reirs sighed, and stood up. "I'm afraid so, Amelia dear."

"How do you know that? How could you possibly know? Why did you even tell me?" Amelia spoke quickly, a hint of fear and suspicion in her voice.

Reirs tone took on quite a serious one. The sun outside was high in the sky, showing that it was mid-day. "Amelia, I know many, many things. More than you can imagine."

"Are you a mazoku?" Amelia cut in, hardly daring to breathe. _Maybe she is…mazoku's can take on human forms, just like Xellos._

"Mazoku, no. Not exactly. It's not important," She added, and Amelia's mouth closed. "The only way to be safe, Amelia, is to be with your friends. You can't run or hide. That'd just put your friends in more danger. This person will find you no matter what, and with your friends, you can beat it. You must go back to Saillune."

"How can I even trust you?"

"As I said, I was your mother's friend. Maybe even more than just a friend. You don't have to trust me; I don't even expect you to. You're a grown woman…you can decide for yourself what you wish to do. Now, I must leave. You may stay, and take anything you want."

Amelia looked on from her bed as Reirs walked silently to the door, her strides more graceful than anyone Amelia had ever seen. "You're…leaving? Why? To where?"

Reirs smiled, but it seemed to Amelia that only her lips smiled, and not her eyes. There was something strange about that woman. "You'll see, Amelia dear. You'll see…" And with that, she left, leaving Amelia alone in the big house, in the soft bed, to ponder. And ponder she did, for almost the rest of the day.

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The afternoon was almost over, and Amelia had woken up from another nightmare. She'd felt sick soon after Reirs had left, and had drifted back to an uneasy sleep. She'd had that nightmare again…where she had seen her mother…and blood…Amelia shuddered as she tried to block the images and sounds from her mind. She felt so unsure, her mind arguing constantly with itself. _Where should I go? What should I do? Should I return to Saillune? I guess I must…it'd be the best thing to do. Lina and the others must have gone searching for me again as well, and if I returned to Saillune, they would surely find out that I'm alright, wouldn't they? And I have my duties, and my father must be worried. Well, at least justice is on my side._

Amelia roamed through the halls of the large mansion, the marble cold beneath her feet. She found boots, and placed them on her feet, feeling much more comfortable. And yet she couldn't help but feel like she was stealing. True, Reirs had told her to take anything, but she still felt bad. _Oh, I hope what I'm doing is just. I'll just repay Reirs after, when I return to Saillune._

The whole house was empty; not one soul remainded except for herself. The halls were eerily quiet, the sounds of her feet echoing throughout the big, ornate halls. Many paintings lined the walls, some beautiful, and others strangely eerie and creepy. Amelia roamed the halls for hours, her mind wondering if she should return to Saillune.

"Maybe I shouldn't go back…" She said out loud, stopping to look out a window.

"Why Amelia, that doesn't sound like you at all!"

Amelia turned, immediately recognizing the voice of an old friend. Looking up, she saw exactly the person she expected to see floating in the air. "Xellos!!" she exclaimed, beaming up at the mazoku. "What are you doing here?!"

Xellos' smile was still there, his eyes closed in that infamous smile of his. "Ah…sore wa himitsu desu!" he said, still smiling, his finger held up in front of him. "Now, I can't stay for long; I must go see how Filia is doing." He said, smirking. "I suggest you leave, Amelia…you'd be quite surprised if you do." And just as soon as he had come, he disappeared, leaving a very confused Amelia by herself. 

_Well,_ she thought to herself, looking at the vacant spot where Xellos had been a second ago. _That was…odd…I wonder what he meant._

She continued walking through the empty halls, her mind a complete jumble. Her head began to throb again, so she went to the kitchen, feeling like a good snack would help her head stop aching so much.

--------------------------

She ended up taking a cloth and piling mounds of food onto it, and then tied it closed. It was quite small, but she decided it would be enough for a trip back to Saillune. Xellos' words had her confused a great deal, and she was starting to think that she might've just imagined the whole incident. Her head still ached, and her legs were beginning to feel weak, but she was starting to feel very uncomfortable all alone in the big house. Each corner she held her breath, almost expecting something to pop out. And she still didn't know if Reirs was trustworthy.

The sun was beginning to set, and feeling a bit weird and uncomfortable in the big mansion, she left the house. Her legs weakened with each step, and her head began to throb like it had when she had first awakened. She draped her brown blanket around her shoulders despite the heat, feeling safer with it around her. She couldn't seem to remember anything from the past four days, almost five, when she had been unconscious. And trying to remember made her mind a bit blurry.

She continued on her way, not following the path because she felt like walking in the green grass down the hill, when something caught her eye. Warily, she walked and tried to get to its side, so that whoever or whatever it was, she wouldn't see him.

-------------------------

Zelgadis' mouth widened in shock, as he saw who stood in front of him. He couldn't move; he felt paralysed. He couldn't even say one word. _I can't believe it! _He thought to himself. His mind was a complete jumble.

"Mr. Zelgadis?" she asked, looking at the masked and hooded figure before her. She didn't know what to do, or what to say, so they just stared at each other. Both were completely confused, and had no idea what to say to one another. As their eyes locked, they could only see each other. And that moment seemed like an ethereal eternity to both of them. 

Those startlingly blue eyes… 

-----------------------

*AN: Hiyas! Lol, the funniest thing happened. I stayed home from school and wrote this chapter! *grins and looks at Kawai Fox* But that's only because I'm sick. I'm not too sure about this chapter though…what do you people think? Sorry if its short!

Thank you to everyone who reviwed! ^^ To Shira: It's good to know that someone else is as hopeless a romantic as me! I'm really glad you like this fic! I happen to think yours are really cute *grins* Also, thanks to Digi-riven! I'm glad you like my fic, and how I'm portraying Amelia ^^

I'm glad you all like dark fics…I was beginning to worry that you people would stop reading because it was getting too dark. I think it might continue being a bit dark from now on, so be prepared!! ^__^

And a big thanks to Winged Dancer ^^ Thnx so much for the congratulation on my fic, and for mentioning me in your notes, but you deserve it more than I do. You're nearing 200 reviews for your fic; only a really great writer and a really great story can get that! I'm really glad you like dream sequences…who knows, there might just be more! *grins*

Thanks to everyone else who reviewed. I really appreciated Lauren-sama's, KellyChan's, Kawai Fox's, and Moro's reviews! Thnx so much for always reviewing!! You're the best ^^ I'll try to mention everyone, but sometimes I don't have the time, so I'm really sorry if I don't mention anyone. Anyways, right now I'm being kicked off the computer, so until next time! –Vivi Laney

P.S. Don't forget to keep reviewing! I love you all!!!!!!!


	13. The Unsure and Silent

**Chapter 13: The Unsure and Silent**

Time stood still. The wind didn't dare to blow. The crickets didn't dare to sing. The trees didn't dare to sway. The world didn't dare to move. The darkness of night surrounded the two, enveloping them in a world of their own, where only the other was present. They couldn't hear the owls, or the wolves, or even some of the drunken villagers at the tavern not too far away. The only thing they could hear was the quiet sound of the other's breathing.

He was frozen. Paralysed. Stuck. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't even blink. All he was capable of doing at that moment was to stare at her and breathe. She stood before him, looking a bit paler than the last he had seen of her, her body seeming to sway a bit. She was clean, unlike the last time they had met, and she wore a brown blanket about her shoulders, clutching it to herself dearly. A blue dress brought out the colour of her eyes, and showed off her figure quite nicely. But it was her face that had him captivated…her face that held him captive in this quiet stupor of his. It was…_Amelia…_The word sounded in his mind over and over again as he just stared into her deep blue eyes. What would she do now? What would he do now?

He'd searched for her. She didn't know what to say, or what to do. Was she supposed to hug her dear friend? Was he really even her friend anymore? Her head swayed, and a drought of dizziness came about her, but she just shook it off. It was him _…Zelgadis…_His name seemed to echo in her mind. Her mind was in a huge conflict; she wasn't sure how she was supposed to react. He'd acted selfish and stubborn, and had said those things about her. He'd given her back the bracelet she had given him, because he couldn't and wouldn't keep a promise. She hated him, didn't she?…But, they'd been through so much together. They were friends. _So why should that change now? It's not as if I still like him as something more than just a friend…that was just a stupid crush…_

Her mind raged on, a battle of thoughts crashing and colliding. Would he say anything to her? Would she say anything to him? _What am I supposed to do??_  Amelia's mind continued its argument, but she couldn't seem to find an answer. She felt herself sway to the right, as if falling asleep, but as she immediately became aware of her surroundings she stood upright again, wanting to shine but only dulling herself more and more. Her sight began to blur, and she felt herself sway again. The ground below her blurred, and Zelgadis became a spot of blue and beige, as she felt herself fall, the ground rushing closer and closer towards her…

"AMELIA!!!"

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Black and red. Blood and Darkness. Blood… Everywhere. So much…and she couldn't escape. It was all around her, all over her, all so…red…_Mommy! Mommy, please…no…mommy…get up, get up! MOMMY!!!_ Tears streaked down her face, her pitiful form standing huddled against the far wall, her sister opposite her. _Gracia…sister, please…NO! Don't leave me! Please!!_ Her mind filled with sounds; high, mocking laughter, and screams…blood-curdling shrieks that came from everywhere. Everywhere. She couldn't hide; it was all around her. Surrounded. Everywhere. By…blood…by horrible sounds…and so much blood…

…Her mothers blood…

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_Why does everyone leave me???_

The ground felt hard and shifted underneath her as she moved. Her head ached and throbbed, pounding at her head intensely. Something cool and soft was placed on her forehead, her eyes still a bit blurry. Everything around her was dark, and even though she couldn't see anything at the moment, her eyes wandered. She tried to recall what had happened, and then remembered…_him_…Was he still there? Was he ever there? What would she say? What would he say? _I've just fainted in front of him…he'll think I'm still a weak little girl who still has a crush on him. Where is he??_ She tried to push herself up, only to feel a hand push her back down.

"Don't move, or you might faint again."

Amelia mentally sighed; it was Zelgadis. She hadn't just imagined the whole thing. They'd found each other…again…but she wasn't sure if she wanted to see him again. _He's so cold, cruel and stubborn…and sometimes he's so unjust! And he's always so depressed, and only cares about looking for his cure. I don't even know if he's my friend anymore…then again, was he ever my friend? Of course he was! We travelled and fought together many times! That makes us friends…doesn't it?_ Her mind continued to rage as her eyes began to focus, and she could clearly see him kneeling on the ground beside her.

His eyes gazed into hers, his lavender hair still hanging over his eyes a little. His blue stone skin was just the same as she remembered, and he even wore the same outfit as before. Their eyes locked again, and for a moment they could only see each other. Amelia broke the gaze, turning her head to look around at her surroundings better. _What's wrong with me? Maybe its because I haven't seen him for so long…_ From the corner of her eyes she saw Zelgadis stand up, look around at the surroundings too, and then look down at her again.__

Should I ask her what happened? Zel thought to himself. Where she was? She might still be mad at me…maybe it would be better if I don't say anything at all. Maybe we should just go back to Saillune as soon as possible, so that Phil won't worry about her. And then I can continue my search for my cure…

She looked at him again, the silence between them feeling quite awkward now. _Should I tell him why I ran away? Why is he so quiet?_ She thought to herself, looking at the chimera. _Well, I guess he's always fairly quiet. He was never the one to start a conversation…_

The awkward silence was filled only by the sounds of the wind and the owls, and the drunken laughs of the men in the tavern a distance away. Zelgadis found his eyes travelling to look at her body's curves again, which were outlined nicely with the dress she was wearing. Noticing that he was looking at her, he blushed bright crimson colour and turned away, thankful of the dark hiding his reddened face. _What the hell am I doing?!?!_ He asked himself, but his answer was a jumbled mess. He quickly made himself think of something else. _We can't just stay here, we have to get to the town, so we can sleep and then go on our way to Saillune._

He looked back at her, and noticed that she was gazing at the night sky above. She'd found her blanket underneath her and was holding close to her again, even though the night was very warm. Zelgadis turned his head upward to see what exactly was so special about the stars, and found that the night was clear, and the midnight blue sky was woven with bright white stars. 

Amelia breathed in deeply, enjoying the night air and the beautiful sight in front of her big blue eyes. _I'm not still mad at him, am I? But maybe I shouldn't say anything…he might be mad at me for running away and wasting his time._ Her mind was filled with questions about Zelgadis, but she didn't know what she was supposed to do, or if she was still mad at him. She forced herself to stop thinking about him, and just stared at the stars above her. "They're beautiful…" she whispered unknowingly, her eyes still gazing upwards. Zelgadis looked at her thoughtfully when he heard her words, and then looked back up.

They were silent for a few minutes again, both gazing at the stars as they thought about what to do next. Zelgadis was the one who finally broke the silence as he looked at her. 

"We should get back to the tavern, so we can get some sleep. We should head back to Saillune."

Amelia was almost startled by his sudden voice. She looked up at him and sat herself straight, and then rose to her feet, holding onto her brown blanket as she remembered again. "S-Saillune??"

Zelgadis raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Yes, Saillune," he said, looking at her. _Why does she sound so surprised?_ "Don't you want to go back home? Phil's probably worried about you, and so are Lina and Gourry." _Doesn't she want to go home? Something's wrong…_

"Of course I want to go home!" She said, standing up tall, although Zelgadis was still taller than her. "It's just…well…"

He looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue. He sighed, looking a bit annoyed but feeling a bit worried. "It's just what?"

"Nothing. I just…" She looked at the ground, thinking of an excuse to use. _I can't tell him the truth…I don't even know if it's the truth, and I don't want to make him worry. Nobody really needs to know. Not yet, anyways…_ "It's just that…I thought we'd meet Lina and Gourry first before we went back. They'd be worried! We have to tell them first!" _I hope he buys it…I really don't want to lie to him, or anyone else, but…_

"They're at Saillune already. Or at least should be by now. The sooner we get there, the sooner people will stop worrying about you. So let's go back to the town…we should get some rest before we leave. We'll get some supplies for the road in the morning."

"Ok," came Amelia's quick reply. _That's all he's going to say? How can he be so cold? He's just found me again…isn't he going to show at least some sigh that he was worried, or that he's glad to see me?_

Zelgadis turned to walk, his beige cape flying behind him as he walked towards the small town. _Maybe she isn't mad at me anymore, but just in case I better not say anything. I can't have her run away again…_

Amelia walked behind him, not knowing what to do. She decided the best thing to do was to stay silent. _Maybe I shouldn't tell him about what happened…it'd be better that way. It's a good thing he isn't asking me…I'd hate to lie again. Lying is so unjust!_

The path quickly changed into a stone road as they both entered the town, neither of them saying a word. Amelia pulled her brown blanket closer around her as she looked at the buildings around her. She had never really looked before, because she had kept her gaze down the short time she had been in the small town. She followed Zelgadis, and noticed how he knew exactly were to go. They turned around a few corners, and walked past a few shops before they turned again. Here, she saw a building with its light still on, and assumed that it was the tavern they were going to stay at for the night.

She entered the tavern, and looked around. There were three drunk men at a table at the far end and to the right, close to the wall. She quickly moved her gaze to look at the actual tavern. The floor was wooden, and the smell of beer and food filled her nostrils and she took a deep breath. The painting on the walls was peeling off, and the ceiling was low with wooden planks running along from one side of the room to the other. The lighting was a bit dim, but she didn't mind. She thought it made the place more comfortable looking.

Zelgadis ordered a room for Amelia, and then, without a word, led her upstairs. He gave her the key, and pointed to the room next to his, and silently entered his room. She stood looking at the key in her hand, and then looked at the door, before deciding to go back downstairs.

She padded across the floor and reached the bar. A young lady with long, wavy blond hair greeted her with a warm smile. "Can I get you anything, Miss?"

Amelia smiled back and sat down at the bar, which was a good distance away from the drunk men. "I'd just like something to eat. Do you happen to have any soup?"

"We have tomato soup, if you'd like?"

"I'll have that," she answered, smiling.

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As she walked back up the stairs to her room, she felt very full, and sighed with content. But that feeling was soon pushed away because Amelia began to feel worried. _What about what Reirs said…its not safe for me or for my friends. Maybe I should tell Mr. Zelgaids…no, I don't think I will. He'd get all worked up and worried, and might even get depressed again. _She sighed, entering her room. _Zelgadis must already be asleep,_ she thought to herself as she closed the door. Not one tiny sound came from the room next to hers.__

_Why didn't he say anything to me today? He hardly said a word, except that we should go back to Saillune. He didn't even say goodnight! And he didn't even say sorry for what he said about me! Why is he so mean? And he didn't act like he was happy to see me again…he just…stared…_She sighed, sitting down on her bed. "Do I really want to go back to Saillune? I'd have to start doing all my duties again…but I can't just leave. My people need me, and I miss Father. But now there's something after me, too. What am I supposed to do?"

Amelia looked down at her hand, and saw that she was wearing a ring; her mothers ring. The one Reirs had given her. "Maybe Reirs is right…I should listen to her. But do I really want to go all the way back to Saillune with Zelgadis?" _I'm still a bit mad at him. He leaves me alone when he promised to help me find a ship so that I could go home, then he never said a word to me for almost three years, then he gives back the bracelet I gave to him as a sign of friendship, and then he says all that stuff about me with Lina. _She lay down in her bed and looked up at the ceiling. "Why can't I just forgive him? He is…or, was my friend. And maybe he still is, but…"

She didn't know what she felt about him. She felt so distant, and was still mad at him. _Mad for a child's reason, of course. Because I'm still a child… _Amelia didn't really know if she was still mad at him, even though she had just said she was. Her head began to throb again, and she decided to stop thinking, because her mind was still a complete mess. 

And so she fell into an uneasy sleep hours later, still unsure of her feelings for Zelgadis. And though she didn't know it, Zelgadis was also arguing with his mind, and assured himself that he only thought of her as a friend, as he too feel into an uneasy sleep.

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*AN: Hiyas again everybody! Did this chapter take too long? I'm sorry if it did. So…what did you people think this time? Good? Bad? Ugly? Is this all taking too long, and do you feel like everything is being dragged? Am I taking to long to get to the actual plot?? I'm sorta worried about that…these chapters aren't THAT boring, are they? I hope not…cause I kinda like these chapters…But I'm not too sure about this chapter. Oh well, tell me if you think this story is going too slow! And I think Lina, Gourry, Xellos and Filia won't be in this fic for a few chapters…but I'm not sure. Also, sorry if this chapter is short!

Now, on to the thanking part! Ok…I feel bad for not mentioning some of my reviewers sometimes, so now I'm gonna name every single one that reviewed the last chapter…and I'll do it all in one breath! *Takes in a deep breath* Thanks to Lauren-Sama, KellyChan, Minimerc, MoroTheWolfGod, Digi-riven, Winged Dancer, and Kawai Fox!! I have gotten better thanx to all of your reviews, and I hope to stay in good health! ^^ *breathes out and takes another breath*

Ok, ok, I missed out three people, but that's because it's the first time they ever reviewed!!

To Saree, I'm glad you like my fic! Thanks so much for taking time to write a review!

To Filia Metallium, don't worry…Filia will get the best of Xellos sometime…I think ^^ And I'm glad you like the way I'm doing Amelia *grins*

And also, to Okami…don't die, or else you won't get to read more! ^^

Once again, thanks so much for reviewing my fic! You all rule! Remember what I said about making you people temples and monuments? Well, I'm gonna make you people your own kingdoms now (don't worry, I'm still maling those temples and monuments)!! ^^ Later peeps!!! –Vivi


	14. Petty Quarrels

**Chapter 14: Petty Quarrels  **

Amelia and Zel left the small town a couple of hours before noon. She had decided to keep the blue dress, because they both felt that they had to save as much money as they could, since Zel was running out of money from staying at the tavern for too many days. They were silent while they walked, neither whispering one word, not even to themselves. They even avoided looking at each other, keeping their gaze either ahead or staring at the ground.

They both began to notice the smallest things that normally they wouldn't have even looked at before. They noticed how the sun could sometimes make shadows dance, how the wind was always changing, how many small creatures and critters roamed around during the heat of the day. But after a while, they stopped noticing, because their thoughts caused them to stare blankly ahead, making their way slowly to the city of Saillune, drowning in their many thoughts.

As night fell, they stopped in an open glade. They were four days away from Saillune, almost five at the pace they were going. They quickly set up camp, neither one saying a word to the other. Zelgadis felt like shit again. _She must still be mad at me. She hasn't even said one word, though I can't blame her. Damnit, why do these things always happen to me?_ He'd fallen back into a state of depression. He felt like the biggest jackass in the world. Just being around her made him feel bad…she'd run away because of him, and being around her reminded him that it was his fault. _All my Goddamn fault._

Amelia was beginning to get a bit annoyed with his silence as she smoothed the wrinkles out of her blue dress. _Why won't he say anything? He won't even look at me! But then again, I'm not saying anything either. He's probably just thinking about how he can be spending this valuable time searching for his cure!_ She didn't know why she was getting so upset; she just was.

They set up a camp and both ate in silence, the wind, owls, crickets and the fire the only things making any noise. They sat quietly on a log in front of the fire they had made, the awkward silence filling every whole and void. Amelia looked at Zelgadis, and was almost shocked. Zelgadis looked…depressed…more depressed than he had ever been before, and Amelia couldn't help but worry about him. _He's probably blaming himself for everything that's happened. He always blames himself. Maybe I should say something to him…_

"Mr. Zelgadis?" she asked tentatively. _Will he even answer me?_

Zelgadis looked up at Amelia, almost not believing his ears. _Did she just say something?_ They'd both been silent for so long, that he thought he had just imagined hearing her voice. _Why in L-sama's name would she want to talk to me?_

"Ummm…well, you shouldn't blame yourself. It's not your fault, really." She didn't know what to say.

"What are you talking about, Amelia?" Could she really tell by looking at him?

"You shouldn't put yourself down, Mr. Zelgadis. You shouldn't blame yourself."

He sighed, knowing that he wouldn't be able to lie to her. "But it is my fault, Amelia. It's always my fault."

"No, it never is! Stop blaming yourself for everything!! It's my fault I ran away, not yours! Why do you always have to be so depressed?"

"Why do you even care? And of course its my fault! If it wasn't for me, you would've never ran away. And don't lie Amelia, because that wouldn't be very 'just', now would it?"

She couldn't believe him! How could he even say that to her? "I'm worried about you, Mr. Zelgadis! Because it isn't your fault! Why must you always see the bad side of everything? And why are you getting mad at me? I'm only trying to help you!" The anger she had from before was starting to return, her hands almost shaking in rage. _Stupid and stubborn and hardheaded, that's what he is! He gets worked up for nothing!_

"Help me?" Zelgadis sounded incredulous. "How? We both know it's my fault, so what can you say to possibly help me? That it wasn't my fault? Where's the justice in lying, Amelia?" He asked her, questioning her about what she believed. His voice, which had been loud, now seemed to quiet a bit. "And why would you even care about a monster like me? I'm no friend…just look at what I've done to you!"

Tears filled Amelia's eyes. But she refused to cry because of him. "You're not a monster, Zelgadis!" She had yelled, dropping the formality of calling him 'Mr.' "You're a human being, just like the rest of us! Why do you always have to put yourself down so much? Why do you have to hurt everyone including yourself whenever we try to help you?! Why?! Why do you act like this?" She yelled, standing up and looking down at him.

Zel looked at her, anger running through his veins, as he looked up at the Princess standing in front of him, the fire raging on behind her. He kept his voice low as he spoke to her. "No matter what I do, I always hurt those near me. Like I am now. See? I am a monster. And what would you know anyways?" He added as Amelia opened her mouth to protest. "You live in a grand castle, with a father who loves you, and a whole city who respects and likes you. You don't live in a body you hate…but I do. You don't know what it feels like when you walk into a city and people run away from you. You wouldn't believe how much you don't know about me, Princess." He emphasized the word 'princess', using her title instead of her name.

Amelia felt as if the tears welled up in her eyes were going fall down her cheeks, but she fought against the tide and won. Not one tear rolled down her olive skin. She stared hard at the chimera before her, shocked at what he had said. "You're right…I don't know who you are. I thought I did, but you're not the Zelgadis I knew before. But you don't know what it's like being a Princess. You don't know what **I** go through. You think that everyone is supposed to pity the chimera, that the Princess has it all. You don't even know why I ran. You don't know what happened to me." The tears threatened to spill over again, but still she held them back. She was strong; far stronger than she ever was. And for some reason she couldn't fathom, she wanted to prove it to him.

He stared at her, his anger almost wavering for a moment. But, thinking back, he didn't know why he was so mad at her. If anything, he'd been mad at himself. Amelia looked determined and set, if not also angry, standing there in front of him.

"You don't care about anything anymore. All you think about is that stupid cure of yours, and you just wallow in self-pity. Open your eyes for once, Zelgadis! There's a whole world out there! But you fail to see the beauty any human would be able to see!"

Before Amelia could continue, anger blazed in his eyes, even though a moment ago he was trying to figure out why he had gotten mad in the first place, and he said, "Because I'm not a human. I'm a monster."

Amelia felt as if she'd been slapped. She hadn't meant it that way, and realized how much that comment must have hurt him. But anger was seething through her, and seemed to beat out all other emotions. "That's not what I meant, Mr. Zelgadis…" she said quietly, before her anger got the better of her. "What I meant is that you don't allow yourself to act like a human, because you don't think of yourself as one! But you are! You were born a human, and you're still a human. I'm trying to show you what's real, Zelgadis, but you refuse to see it. You just stare aimlessly at the illusion you've created! People don't run away when they see you. They might be a bit shocked and intimidated at first, but that's as far as it goes."

"No, Amelia," he said, stressing her name. "You're the one feeding me this illusion. That nobody cares about the way I look. Well, in case you haven't noticed, Princess, the world isn't all sunshine and daisies. **I** care about the way I look."

"You're so selfish and self-centred!" She yelled, glaring down at him, her hands curled up tightly into fists at her side. _I'm trying to help him here, and he takes everything the wrong way! Why do I even bother?!_ "I don't even know why I even try! What makes you think you can talk to me like that? **You're** the one who never talked to me for almost three years! You've been too busy with that stupid cure of yours to even notice that I considered you a friend, and that I wanted you to visit!"

Zelgadis just glared up at the young woman in front of him. It crossed his mind how he'd never thought he'd see Amelia act like that. _There's no doubt about it…she's changed. _"**You** don't have any idea what a cure means to me. It's the only glimmer of hope I have in my life, and you're stepped all over it, trying to destroy it."

"Why do I even bother talking to you!?!" She shrieked. She moved past him as if to leave, when he turned to yell at her.

"Running away again?" He called out to her, his voice mocking. Amelia turned to glare at the blue man in front of her, and she would've slapped him if he hadn't been made of stone. _I hate him,_ she thought, glaring malevolently at him. _I absolutely despise him!_

"I wouldn't give you the pleasure of my leaving," she said with a too-sweet voice.

Zelgadis looked at her, at the way she looked at him, and almost shuddered. _She's changed a little too much._ He couldn't tell which emotion she held in her eyes, but he knew he didn't want to know. They'd just had a pointless argument that started for the stupidest reason. Zelgadis mentally slapped himself, knowing it had all started because of him. "We'd best get to Saillune as soon as possible," he said when he turned around. "Get some sleep; we'll leave early in the morning."

"Whatever you say, Mr. Zelgadis," she said, stressing the 'Mr.' part as she bowed behind his back in a mocking way. She turned to her blanket and argued with her mind for the better part of the night. _Why am I even staying with him? I hate him…but its not like he'll stay with me in Saillune. The faster we get there, the better, so that I never have to see him again._

Both Amelia and Zelgadis slept restlessly when they did manage to fall asleep, and when they awoke, they quickly ate and packed, not even looking at each other as they set off on the road to Saillune again.

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*A/N: Whoa! Weird chapter, no? Sorry it took so long! I've had another douse of writers block, and I've found out that a few of my marks in school aren't very good, so the chapters might take even longer. I'm sorry about this chapter being short!

So, what do you people think of this chapter. I'm not sure if you guys liked it…but I hope you did. And I'm very sorry if they're both OOC, especially Ame. But hey, Amelia's grown and matured, so of course she's changed and she's different. And Zel…well, he's gotten…umm…older, so he's changed a bit too. Everyone changes as they grow, so I don't see why Ame and Zel can't change. I've always thought that its ok to have a bit of OOCness in a fic, so long as they don't have completely different personalities. But boy, did Amelia throw a fit or what?! Did anyone see this coming?

Thanks to Digi-rivin, Lauren-sama, Winged Dancer, Minimerc, and MoroTheWolfGod for reviewing the last chapter. I'm not going to answer any of your questions, because I want to keep you in suspense! MUAHAHA! Ahem…well, you'll just have to wait and see, but I'd still like it if you ask me questions…you never know…one of these days I just might answer them! Anyways, I love putting Ame and Zel through awkward silences, and I love it when they misunderstand each other! Torturing them is fun, but don't worry, I'm not THAT evil. They'll get together…eventually…

And I've got 2 more people reading my fic! *jumps up and down* YAY! To Cookie Phantasm, thanks SO much for taking some time to write me a review! *smiles* I'd say you're a pro at writing reviews, and I really appreciated the one you wrote me! ^^

And to destructive sorceress, thanks SO much for your review! *grins* I'm really glad you liked the last chapter! ^^ I've read a bit of one of your fics, but I never had the time to finish reading all the chapters because I was kicked off the computer *sweatdrops* So, as soon as I have the time, I'm going to finish reading it and then I'll write a review!

So, once again thanks to every who reviews! In fact, thanks to anyone who reads, in case there are people who read this fic but don't review! Thanks so much! I'm writing this fic for you guys! If you people didn't read my fic, I wouldn't be writing it ^^ Thanks so much! Luv, Vivi J  


	15. The Long Road Ahead

**Chapter 15: The Long Road Ahead**

Zelgadis kicked a rock that lay in the path as he walked, his hood and mask on once again. His eyes stared at the path he was walking upon, and Amelia was walking a few feet behind him. They'd both been silent since they'd gotten up that morning, and their journey seemed more unbearable each second.

It was midday, the sun high in the beautiful clear blue sky, but neither made a single comment about how it was a beautiful day, since there was a cool breeze. Amelia looked up and took in her surroundings; trees were lined up to her right, while there were a few trees and green, rolling plains at her left. She didn't plan to talk to the chimera in front of her, and was glad that he didn't try to either. The air was fresh and sweet, and on any other day she would've noticed it, but today she was too absorbed with her thoughts.

Every now and then Zelgadis would stop walking and listen for Amelia's footsteps, just to make sure she was following. But he never turned around to look at her. And each time he stopped, Amelia would glare up at him, thinking about how she couldn't wait to get back to Saillune so that she'd never have to see him again. But something in the back of her mind argued with her. _That isn't very just of me to think. He is my friend, after all, _she thought to herself. _Was my friend_, another part of her mind corrected. 

The day passed slowly, and they still hadn't said a word. They stopped as they came to a small lake, surrounded by trees. Zelgadis unpacked in a clearing not too far away from the lake. Without saying a word, Amelia took a blanket that Zelgadis had bought before they left the small town, and walked away into the trees. Zelgadis didn't even bother looking up, knowing that she wouldn't run away, and that she would be back.

He lay down on his blanket which he would use as a bed for the night, looking past up at the night sky. He felt restless, his mind going through a conflict. _Amelia must hate me now…not that I care. She probably only felt pity for me, and never really a true friendship. _He was mad at her, but something at the back of his mind argued with him. That he was really mad at himself for what had happened the night before. He sighed and got up, not wanting to dwell on his thoughts anymore. He'd been doing that all day.

He took off his beige cape and let it fall to the ground, and took out his sword. _Sparring should help clear my mind,_ he thought to himself. But he knew it hadn't worked the last time he tried to clear his head by sparring, and so it wouldn't work this time either.

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Mist hovered lazily over the surface of the clear and still lake, its blue crystal water looking serene and peaceful. A few leaves that had flown off the surrounding trees were floating gently on the glass-like surface of the small lake.

Amelia sighed, taking in the rugged beauty that nature had created. For a moment, she forgot about everything that troubled her mind. The grass felt soft beneath her feet, and the scenery around her was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen in her life. There was a light breeze, and the leaves on the surrounding trees swayed as if dancing to a sweet melody the wind carried. 

It looked like a painted picture; the soft glow of the moonlight reflecting and bouncing off of the still surface. She could also see stars twinkling as the dark night sky and canopy of trees above were reflected off the surface. The trees, swaying in the light breeze, surrounding the peaceful lake, along with the soft grass and tiny white flowers that were scattered here and there, were all breathtaking.

She pried her eyes off of the small lake to take a moment to look around her, making sure that she was alone, before she stripped herself of her clothing. She let her blue dress fall to her ankles before she stepped out and folded it neatly, placing it on the ground. She took the towel and wrapped it around herself, before she gingerly tested the small lake's clear blue water with her toe.

She stepped back, noticing it was too cold, and cast a small fireball. Immediately, steam rose from the surface, making the scenery she stood in even more breathtaking than before. She walked into the small lake, the spa-like water soothing as she bathed in it. _This should get him out of my mind_, she thought, resting her head against the edge of the bank. _I don't want to think about him right now…I just want to think about father…and my home…_

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"I want to be stronger!" the boy said, swinging his sword violently around, sparring by himself. His hair was a blue-lavender, trees and moss-covered rocks surrounding him as he practiced. He heard that distinct sound, almost like a chime, and immediately knew who it was.

"So, you want to be stronger?" The man with dark purple hair asked, his red robes bright against the subtle green around him. In his hand he held his staff, and with unseeing eyes he moved closer to the boy. _Yes_, the boy thought, a gleam of hope in his eyes. _I want to be stronger!_

Suddenly, the boy screamed in pain as he felt his whole being change, morph…a moment ago he'd been excited, knowing that he would be able to get stronger, but now he felt as if he'd die…

Zelgadis woke up, sweating, and his eyes looked around frantically. He sighed when he remembered where he was, the fire he had made still crackling brightly. He covered his face with his hands, thinking about his dream…no, his nightmare.

_I can't believe I still have this dream,_ he thought, sitting by himself in the darkness. Images flashed before his mind; when he was a boy, others had picked on him, because he had been mostly quiet. His desire to be stronger grew each day, and he tried to fight back whenever he could. Zel shook his head of those images, and new ones appeared. Amelia, smiling up at him almost three years ago, and Amelia glaring at him only the night before, with…anger? Or was it hate? _Probably hate,_ he thought to himself, sinking into a deep depression once again. _As soon as I get rid of her, I'll be able to continue the search for my cure…_He stopped himself, and thought back to what Amelia had said to him. _"All you think about is that stupid cure of yours…" _

Zelgadis sighed. _Maybe she's right,_ he thought to himself. _All I ever seem to think about is my cure. It's supposed to help me, help me with the way I feel, with the way that others feel about me. But…all it does is destroy everything…it's not helping, it's making my situation worse. Amelia is right…the cure is making me as blind as Rezo was…_The thought of Rezo made him feel anger towards his great grandfather, but he sighed, realizing that he was on the same path as that man he loathed so much.

_"You've been too busy with that stupid cure of yours to even notice that I considered you a friend…"_ Amelia's voice echoed in his mind. _Maybe you're right, Amelia…maybe you're right…_

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Images poured into her mind…those same images that kept coming back. _No…please…stop!_ She screamed as those images flooded her mind…images of her mother, dead, of the blood surrounding her, of her sister, yelling and screaming and running away…the images seemed too fresh, too vivid in her mind. _No…please…_she begged to someone invisible. _Make it stop!_

But now she had new pictures form in her mind; things she had never seen before. She saw her father, in the place where her mother had been. In her mind she screamed, before more images popped into her head. Lina, Shylphiel, Gourry, Filia, Xellos…even little Val…dead…blood surrounded them in a dark chamber she had never seen before. A high, mocking laughter filled her ears. _STOP IT!!!_ Her mind shrieked. She didn't want to see any of it…she couldn't bare to see any of it.

And then the images blurred, and were slowly replaced. She found herself looking through a whole in a dark wall, and could see the one person she hated the most…_Zelgadis._ But her anger immediately faded away as she saw him, helpless, on the floor, trying to crawl. And around him, she could see an ocean of his blood. She screamed his name, pounded against the wall, trying to reach him, trying to save him.

"Why?!" she sobbed, her pitiful form curled up into a ball against the cold black wall. "Why does it always happen? Why do they leave me like that…why? I don't want them to die…I don't want any of them to suffer!"

Her father's image filled her mind again, and she saw him on the floor, unmoving. She stood and tried to run, but he just got farther and farther. "DADDY!!!!" She shrieked, her knees buckling beneath her as she helplessly cried. "No father…" she whispered silently, holding herself and rocking back and forth. "You promised you wouldn't leave me…that I'd never be alone. You promised you'd always be there for me!"

She remembered her mother's funeral, when he had taken her into his arms and held her close, whispering those same words. And then she remembered the time when she had gone back to Saillune, and had thought her father was dead. She remembered the words she had said over and over again…"No! He'd never leave me! He wouldn't leave me here by myself!!" She screamed, and woke up, her eyes only seeing blue around her.

She breathed in, only to fill her mouth and lungs with more water. She struggled, her hands flailing to reach the surface. The water felt cold again, chilling her to her bones. She kicked her feet mercilessly, trying to reach the surface of the small lake. She held her breath, and felt herself weaken. _Maybe I should stop fighting…_she thought to herself as she vainly struggled. But those images flashed before her eyes again, and she struggled with all her might.

She broke through the glass-like surface of the small lake, and struggled to reach the bank again. She held on tightly, trying to remember what had happened. _I was relaxing in the lake…and I must've fallen asleep. And then, in my nightmare, I must've kicked and moved away from the bank, and…and…I almost…drowned…_ The thought scared her, sent a shiver down her spine that she knew didn't come from the cold water she was in. _The water's already cold…I must've been here for a while…_

She got up out of the small lake, and tried to block what had happened out of her mind. That was the second time she had thought she would die since she was kidnapped…she shuddered at the thought, and didn't want to think about it anymore. She dried herself off, pulled back on her clothes, and walked back through the dense trees to the camp Zelgadis had made.

Zelgadis had gone back to sleep, not even noticing that Amelia still wasn't back before he felt his head hit the makeshift pillow he'd made for himself. Amelia looked at him, sleeping on the opposite side of the billowing fire that he had fed before he had gone back to sleep. For a moment her anger towards him wavered; he looked so peaceful and vulnerable while he slept. She found that he had made her a place to sleep while she had been gone, and felt a bit grateful, because she was completely worn out. She slipped into her makeshift bed, and pulled her brown blanket closer around her. The brown blanket seemed to give her heat and comfort, and she looked at the fire beside her before she closed her eyes. A few seconds later she was fast asleep, and in the morning when she woke up, she couldn't remember what had happened and what had almost happened the night before in the seemingly pleasant and peaceful lake a short distance away.

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*A/N: Yipes! I found this chapter to be quite odd, also! SO, what do you think about this chapter? Now, was what happened to Amelia just an accident, or not?? *cackles* Well, only I know the answer to that! Sorry if this chapter seems rushed, since it sorta was. I wanted to finish it before I go out, so that when I come back I'll have more reviews! ^^ Oh, and sorry if this chapter is short, but I had to get it done!!

Thankies to MoroTheWolfGod, Winged Dancer, KellyChan, Minimerc, destructive sorceress, Digi-riven, and Filia Metallium for reviewing! I'm gonna engrave your profiles in a mountain! *grins* Well, maybe…

And to Moro…I dunno if I'm gonna go into his past a lot. I've been thinking about it, but I'm not too sure about his past. There are a lot of rumours and stuff going around, so I don't know how much of it is real. Maybe someone can help me here…please? I just need to know about what everyone is supposed to know about his past…does that even make sense? Ah well…

Anyways, don't count on Ame forgiving Zel too soon…she's still a bit mad ^^ I love doing this to them! Anyways, read and review! Till next time…TOODLES! -Vivi  


	16. Confused and Uncertain

**Chapter 16: Confused and Uncertain**

The sun beat down relentlessly, causing one of the two travellers walking in its heat to stumble and walk slowly. The gravel road didn't make it easy for anyone to walk in the harsh weather, the air humid and Mother Nature torturing the young woman by not giving the wind a cool breeze to blow through the hot and humid air. They had left the shade of a forest earlier that day, and were now walking along a path with no trees to give them any shelter.

Zelgadis sighed and turned to look at Amelia lagging behind. They still had not said a word to each other, although Zelgadis tried by opening his mouth once or twice, but each time he decided against it. He wanted to tell her he was sorry, and that she was right about a lot of things she had said, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. _This is ridiculous! We're acting like children by not talking to each other! But…She's probably still mad at me, so it would be better if I just said nothing at all,_ he thought as he watched her struggle to catch up to him. _Maybe we should find someplace to rest._ He looked around, and could only see endless plains on either side of him, but looking far ahead, he could see a small town, and the start of a new forest just behind the town.

He didn't feel the heat that much, so it didn't really bother him. _That's because I'm not human though, _he thought bitterly, looking at his hands. _What's wrong with me? Why am I so moody?_

_Why can't we just raywing to some shade?! _Amelia asked herself, trudging along the gravel path. She was still very mad at Zelgadis, and refused to ask him to stop so that she could rest. She didn't want to talk to him; she just wanted to get back to Saillune as soon as possible.

Her azure eyes looked up from where she was staring at the path below her, and she scowled. He stood there, a good distance away, watching her. She immediately felt like slapping him. _He probably finds this amusing, _she thought, glaring up at him. _Is he just going to stand there watching me all day!?_ She wondered, still very much angry at the chimera ahead of her. A part of her told her that it was silly to still be mad at him; after all, he was probably even more depressed now since they had had that argument. _But it's his fault we even had an argument._ And still, another part of her argued back. _But _i_t's not very just to blame it all on him though…_

She looked back up at him, and seeing him still standing there, looking at her, she thought, _I hate him. I don't even know why I'm still traveling with him. _And a part of her mind answered, _Well, that's because you don't really hate him,_ but she just shook the thought away. It'd been like that the whole day, where she argued with herself about what had happened.

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"Flare Arrow!" The three figures below ran relentlessly, as the sun pounded its rays on them as if to slow them down; the two gold heads sandwiching a red head.  

"Lina, I don't think that works," Gourry shouted as he, Filia, and Lina ran, a hoard of creatures following closely.

"I know that already!" Lina shouted back to him, her feet hitting the ground beneath her hard. "I…just wanted to make sure!" _Damnit, what am I going to do? I don't have time to cast the dragon slave…they're too fast! I'd never be able to finish the spell in time. None of the common spells work on them, but uncommon spells take too long…and they'd easily dodge uncommon spells._

"Why…did…I…ever…listen…to…that…stupid…namagomi!?!?!" Filia shrieked as she ran, her breaths coming in fast, short gasps. _I knew he was up to something!! _Her mind yelled, while her feet felt like they would give away in a second.

"What are we going to do, Lina?" Gourry asked as he ran as fast as he could, the new sword at his side hitting his leg as he pounded his feet against the path they ran on. Trees behind them were scorched, and the creatures running and flying after them screeched so loudly that all three of them had to cover their ears.

Lina thought for a moment, a worried expression mixing with her normally fiery-looking face. "I don't know, Gourry…I really don't know…" _Zel…Amelia…where are you guys??_

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"Enjoy your stay."

Zelgadis and Amelia had reached the town right before night fell, and after grabbing something to eat, they got themselves rooms at the first inn they saw. Amelia looked incredibly grumpy, and so Zelgadis made sure he stayed at least a few feet away from her. The blue dress she wore clung to her body because of the heat, and Zelgadis had to try hard not to look at certain parts of her.

_It's Amelia, for L-sama's sake! Since when do you look at a friend like that?_ His mind berated him for even looking at her the way he had just a second ago, and he decided that he had to get to his room before he could get the chance to look again. But a part of his mind answered back, _Well, she isn't really your friend anymore, now is she?_ He mentally slapped himself, knowing just what sort of implication there had been in his mind. _Not only am I a monster,_ he thought bitterly, _but I'm a pervert also!_

He sighed, and went to the bathroom to take a nice, cold shower to get his mind off of everything. In the back of his mind he could still remember his dream, and he wanted that out of his mind more than anything else.

Outside his room, passing by his door, walked a very grumpy Amelia. She was tired, aching everywhere, her dress clung to her uncomfortably, and she wanted to take a nice long bath. She opened the door beside Zelgadis' room, and quietly stepped inside. The sun had been relentless that day, and she knew that they had been travelling too slow. _I hope tomorrow won't be as humid_, she thought absently, walking into the bathroom. Looking at herself in the mirror, she scowled in disgust; her hair was a tangled mess, and was plastered to her face here and there, and her face looked sweaty, and there were dark rings under her eyes.

"I look like a mess," she said, releasing a long sigh. "I hope I reach Saillune soon…Daddy must be so worried…"__

She sighed, and prepared herself a long, relaxing bath.

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Zelgadis woke up to a sound, and took a sweeping glance around his room before sighing. He'd been dreaming about the day Rezo had made him what he is now, and woke up thinking that Rezo was in the room with him. Zelgadis shuddered at the thought. _He's already dead…I have to get a grip on myself._

He got up out of his bed, and heard a soft sound coming from the room beside him. _Amelia's room,_ he thought, straining to hear something else. Finding himself very curious, and also wanting to take a walk through the halls to clear his mind and calm down a bit, he walked quietly to his door, and stepped out into the quiet hall. 

He immediately noticed that the hall was very dark; much darker than his room. He walked over to Amelia's room, and found the door slightly ajar. _Funny…Amelia should know that she should close and lock her door…_His mind immediately thought of the only logical reason…_Amelia's in trouble!_

He swung open her door, and ran inside, his arms ready to cast a spell, and his eyes ready to search the room, but he stopped, and felt himself freeze. The moon outside of the window in front of him illuminated the figure standing in front of it. "Amelia…" he breathed out, not knowing what to do.

She stood there, looking at him completely confused, her innocence shining from her, and the soft light coming from the moon outside making her glow radiantly. Zelgadis' breath was caught in his throat; he seemed completely paralysed. She wore a white silk nightgown that she had found in one of the cabinets, and it fit her perfectly. It flowed down to her knees, and made her skin shine with an ethereal brilliance. Zelgadis half expected for her to have wings, but he still knew what she looked like, standing there before him. _She's an angel, _he thought to himself, as he stared into her eyes…_those startlingly big blue eyes…I could drown in them_…

Amelia was…well, bewildered. She had gotten up, feeling restless and homesick, and had accidentally knocked into the bed. She was worried that the loud bang had woken someone up, and went to her door to look down the halls to make sure no one came to inspect the noise; but deep in her mind she knew that wasn't the only reason she had checked. A part of her felt as if she was being watched, and she left her door open so that if something did happen, she'd be able to run out, or if she screamed, someone would definitely hear her and know which room her scream would've come from. But she just assured herself that she was just being paranoid, and that she had only opened the door because she wanted to make sure she didn't wake anybody, and because she had forgotten to close it.

But she hadn't expected Zelgadis to barge in, ready for a fight. She was completely shocked, and couldn't find her voice to scream when she first heard the door swing open. She was the first to gather her wits. "What are you doing in my room, Mr Zelgadis?" she asked, a bit angry now that her initial shock had wavered. These were the first words she had said to him in two days, and was upset that she had to even waste her voice on him.

Zelgadis shook his head and gathered himself, feeling embarrassed. "I…I thought you were…nothing. I'm sorry to have bothered you," he said stiffly, and walked out of the room, closing it behind him. _Gods, now she must think that I AM a pervert…and she still sounded mad…how long is this going to go on? _

He went back to his room, and fell asleep, but Amelia stayed up after he had left, trying to figure out why she felt so bad, even though she knew she hated him, and that it wasn't because of him. 

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*A/N: Howdy! *grins* So, what did you all think of this chapter. I keep thinking these chapters are a bit odd…oh well ^^ I didn't want you people to get too bored, and seeing as how Lina, Gourry and Filia haven't been in any of the chapters recently, I thought I'd let them have a teeny, weeny part ^^ And I have a feeling you're all getting excited! Well, that's what I hope, anyways… And if Zel's acting a bit OOC, well…tough! 

*grins* I'm pretty happy with this chapter. But I have a feeling you people will like the next chapter, although I'm not going to tell you why ^^ I'll leave that for you to figure out! Maybe they reach Saillune…or they meet up with the bad guy/s, or there's more Lina, Gourry and Filia…or maybe I get Xellos to pop up again! But I'm not going to tell you, so you'll just have to figure it out yourselves ^^ MUAHAHAHAHAHA *cough*HAHAHA!! And a thousand sorry's for the length of this chapter if its too short…And this chapter was a bit rushed also, because I have to start doing my homework…heheheh…of course, I put you people before my homework! And also…I fixed a few grammar mistakes from the last chapter (that's the last time rush a chapter…well, maybe not). You don't have to go back and read the last chapter over again, because it doesn't really make a difference, but if you want to reread the last chapter, well…darn tootin', go right ahead!

And now for the thankies! Ahem…thanks to Winged Dancer, MoroTheWolfGod (thanks for the info too, but I'm still not sure if I'm going to go into his past…but I might ^^), Digi-riven, Lauren-sama (don't worry, I'm going engrave your profile into a mountain too), destructive sorceress, and Kawai Fox for reviewing the last chapter! *grins* I love your reviews! You people make me want to write these for you as fast as I can, because I always love seeing your reactions ^^ So, sayonara! Until next time, faithful reviewers! (Whoa, does that sound like a cheesy ending line from a cheesy show or what?) ^__^ -Vivi Laney


	17. Defenceless

**Chapter 17: Defenceless**

The sun filtered into the small and cozy room through the gap in the curtains. Zelgadis wiped the sleep from his eyes as he slowly sat up, still feeling quite restless. He had had a hard time falling asleep the night before; images of Amelia had found their way into his head, and no matter what he did, he couldn't seem to wipe they away. The result of this; a very, very confused chimera. He tried in desperation to try and squeeze any and all thoughts about her out of his mind, but they always seemed to squirm out of his grip and fill his mind. _Why the hell does she always pop up in my head? Must be because I'm feeling guilty about all of this…it was my fault, after all…_

He sighed and pushed the warm mauve covers off of himself, and quickly dressed himself in his everyday beige getup. He sighed, looking at himself in a mirror against the wall, turning this way and that to get a better view of himself. "Disgusting," he muttered to himself, as he stared at his rock blue skin and lavender wire hair. Muttering, he left the room, his glance never once moving to look at Amelia's door as he walked through the hall to reach the stairs. He was silently thankful that he didn't have to pass her door on the way to the stairs, because the events of the night before still caused him to blush from embarrassment. 

Meanwhile, in the room beside him, sat a very confused Crown Princess. She was still confused about the night before, and she knew he had changed what he was going to say. _Stupid Zelgadis…why does he always have to confuse me?! Why did he barge into my room last night? And why did he look at me like that? Oh, I hate him so much. I don't even know why I'm travelling with him…_

Thinking back to the night before, she remembered how she had hardly gotten any sleep, because Zelgadis' surprise visit had left her feeling very confused. He had looked so…_worried…and then he looked depressed again, _she thought with a sigh. _Not that I really care, though, _she added, once again feeling a little confused. She sighed again, and put back on the blue dress. She looked down at herself, and then turned to the large mirror and made a face. She silently wished she had her old travelling clothes, because travelling in a long dress wasn't very easy, as much as she liked wearing them.

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The day was bearable, unlike yesterday, as the wind blew by the two travellers in light, cool breezes. Amelia still walked behind him, and he still didn't turn to look at her. The day seemed to go by excruciatingly slowly for both of them, though, as they trudged along the path, hoping to make it to Saillune as soon as possible. She looked up at him, studying his back and the way he walked, and taking note of how his cape seemed to flow like a river behind him, making him seem mysterious. _How can he do it? _She wondered to herself, although her stare had turned into a bit of a glare as she remembered that she was still mad at him. _How can anyone be so distant from the rest of the world? How can anyone find more comfort being alone than being with others? _She sighed, remembering when he had given her back her bracelet; the one she had given him as a sign of friendship. _But I guess he didn't want it…I guess he never wanted it. _She thought back to the times when they had been travelling with Lina and the others, and for a moment her wrath-like glare at his back wavered, to be replaced by a faraway and distant look. _There were times when I thought I could really get through to him…when I thought that he wasn't all that bad. And back then, I had wanted to understand him, I had wanted to help him. But Zelgadis never noticed…he was too blind, with his possible cure always on his mind. _Once again, she was glowering at him behind his back, trying to burn a hole through him. _L-sama, I hate him!_

He was tempted to look back at her, but forced himself not to. He didn't know why he was suddenly acting so weird. _Maybe I should apologize…or say something…but no, that was just start another argument, most likely…she probably doesn't even want to hear a word I have to say, though I really can't blame her. And why does she have to be so silent? But…maybe I should say something… _He added, and muttered under his breath, "Damn my conscience, and damn her silence." He gave a long, laboured sigh, as his gaze rested on the movements of his feet. "When we get back to Saillune, I won't have to worry about all this anymore. I can leave her there and then go back to worry about finding my cure."

_What is he muttering about? _She wondered, as she heard his quiet voice. She glared at his back even harder, trying to penetrate through him to figure out what he was saying to himself. _Probably something about his cure again, _she thought bitterly, and peeled her gaze away from him after a moment. Her cerulean eyes began to scan the horizon in front of her, and the surroundings she found herself encircled within. There were a few trees here and there, and beyond the few trees were long rolling hills, and she took note of how the land seemed to play with the light. Her eyes moved upwards, and she noted how the sun was high in the sky. _Only midday? It seems like its been at least three days…_She sighed, and then let out a small cry as she felt herself trip and come crashing down onto the ground below her. 

She fell face forward, her palms scratching against the rough path she now lay on. Zelgadis turned around quickly when he heard her short cry, and moved towards her as if to help her up. But she quickly helped herself up, brushing off her dress and taking a sharp breath as she felt her palms sting. The skin had come off here and there on her two palms, leaving them a bit raw and stinging painfully. Zelgadis opened his mouth, as if to ask her if she was all right, but he decided against it, and turned around to continue walking. Over his shoulder he called out, "Be more careful next time." She looked at his retreating form and scowled at him, and then followed his gait slowly.

_There he goes again, acting all cold and mean again. Can't he at least, for once, start acting like a human being? Oh, how I hate him so much!_ A year or two after he had left her after the incident with DarkStar, her dislike for him began to grow slowly. Now, her dislike for him seemed to be in full bloom. Her fists tightened at her sides into balls for a moment, but with a gasp she opened her hands, her palms stinging even more from the pressure she had put on them. The day seemed more and more unbearable as it wore on, and Amelia began to wish that she would be able to reach her home very soon.

Zelgadis wanted to kick himself for what he had said. He had tried to sound indifferent and cold; the way he used to act when they had first met, but it didn't seem to be the best approach. _Way to go, Zel…she's already extremely pissed off at me, so why don't I just piss her off even more with some stupid comment._ If there had been a wall present at that moment, Zelgadis would've gladly walked up to it to start banging his head against it. The silence between the two grew uncomfortably, making Zel feel as if he would go insane, even though normally he would've welcomed silence.

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They had found another clearing, and as much as Amelia had wanted to put her tent as far away from his as possible, the clearing wasn't exactly spacious, and she didn't want to stray to close to the dark, looming trees surrounding them. Zelgadis made a fire in the middle of the clearing, and they both ate silently. Both of them had become very interested in the ground below them the whole time they ate in silence, and when Amelia had finished, she quickly moved to her makeshift bed to fall into an uneasy sleep.

Zelgadis was close to follow in her footsteps, although unlike Amelia, it took him a while before sleep could claim him. His thoughts wandered around Amelia, Lina, and even Gourry. He had a feeling that they had made it to Saillune safely, and that they had told Phil that Amelia was all right and that she would be back soon. The last thing he remembered before submitting himself to unconsciousness were the bright stars and Amelia's soft and steady breathing.

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He woke up, sweating and panting, his eyes frantically searching in panic before he remembered where he was. He dreamt about it again; he'd dreamt about Rezo, he'd dreamt about his childhood, he'd dreamt about how he had become the monster he was today…

A sound reached his ears from the other side of the burned out fire. It sounded like…_what?_ It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dark, but even before he was able to see properly, he knew who it was. _Amelia…_

Her brown blanket was drawn tightly around her, as she hugged her knees tightly against her chest, her petit form shuddering from an unknown chill. She had had those nightmares again…they had all seemed so real, and so vivid…she didn't want to remember her mother's death. She didn't want to see everyone else die, all because of her. Except, this time in her dream, they had all blamed her. They had all blamed her for their deaths. Her mother blamed her. Her father, her friends, her people; everyone. And those images of blood were still printed freshly in her mind, and no matter how hard she tried to shut those images out, they always seemed to seep into her mind.

But that wasn't the only thing she remembered. She remembered the night at the small lake…the night she had almost drowned. The thought scared her, frightened her to the bone. It left an eerie chill crawl down her back, and she remembered the night she had been kidnapped. The last words she had said before she had fallen asleep seemed to haunt her mind, and shatter her soul. She was defenceless now; she was a young 17 year old, a troubled Crown Princess with too many responsibilities resting on her shoulders, the one carrying too many burdens. Everything filled her mind, and she felt herself shatter beneath her own feet. Everything came flooding back, and it was all too much for her to bear. It was all pent up inside of her, and she needed to get it all out.

Amelia heard footsteps come up from behind her, and stood up to turn and look at him. She knew exactly how to get it all out of her; by yelling at him. By telling Zel how much she hated him. She would scream and shout, shriek and yell, but when she turned to look at him she felt so vulnerable and defenceless, and she didn't know what to do. They stood, silently staring into each others eyes, before she found herself break into uncontrollable tears. Her body racked violently as she cried, her pitiful form falling against his stoic one, tears streaking her olive face.

She didn't know why she was crying, and she silently cursed herself for showing him how weak she was. Zelgadis was completely surprised and totally shocked, and had no idea what to do when he found her face buried in his chest. He felt awkward, but feeling as if he had to do something in order to comfort her, he began to stroke her head uncertainly, and then ran his fingers through her hair. He was surprised at how silky it felt, and how he loved the feel of it between his fingers. He was surprised he could even feel the texture of her hair against his rocky skin, but mentally yelled at himself for finding any pleasure at the moment; Amelia was crying, and she needed comforting, and he would try to give it to her, the best he could.

He was new to this, and had no idea on what to say to her. So he just caressed her back with one hand, and her head with his other. Amelia curled her hands into fists, not even aware of how her palms no longer hurt from the fall earlier that day. She lightly pounded her fists into his chest, as she continued to sob. "I hate you…" she whispered softly, but loud enough for him to hear. "I hate you…I hate you…I hate you!" She shuddered uncontrollably, and wished she wasn't so close to him. She wanted to yell at him, to yell those words, yet her voice was almost inaudible.

She was surprised at how warm he was, and basked in his warm musky smell, and could feel the contours of his muscles underneath his clothing. She mentally yelled for even thinking like that; she hated him after all. But there she was; open, vulnerable, exposed, there, in front of him. She felt as if she fitted perfectly beside him, their bodies touching and his arms soothing and comforting, making her heart race inside her chest. She was confused, and didn't know what to do, but found comfort, standing there in his arms, but she had to let him know how she felt.

"I hate you…" she said again, her fists still pounding his chest softly. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!"

She was about to pound his chest again, but Zel caught her hand in his. "I know," he whispered to her softly, and she looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy from all of her crying. He stared down into a mass of sapphire, and felt as if he were soaring. _Those startlingly blue eyes…_

Before he knew what he was doing he bent down and closed whatever distance there had been between their faces and kissed her lightly upon her lips, revelling at how soft and warm her lips were against his. _This is wrong…I should stop this. I shouldn't be doing this._ But he couldn't stop, and he felt her body press closer to his. She kissed him back softly and tentatively, and his hand moved to caress her cheek, slowly travelling along her jaw line. _I have to stop this. This isn't right, I shouldn't be taking advantage of her…_but he couldn't stop himself. The kiss was so tender, so perfect…and when Amelia wrapped her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss, they both lost themselves in a world of utter bliss.

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*A/N: AH! What have I done?!?!?! *gasps dramatically* Hmmm…I'm sorry if it seems a bit rushed ^^ Well, seems to me like they've both made up…sorta *grins mischievously* Now, this is my first time writing a kissing scene…so I hope its all right. And I've recently noticed that my notes are a bit long, so I'll try cutting them down just a tad. And Zel seemed a wee bit OOC, which you better not complain about! But, just to make sure…*takes a stick and prods Zel* Back in character! NOW!

And now, what you've all been waiting for! Your 'Five Seconds of Fame'!! Thanks to **Digi-riven** (Go Xellos! Muahaha!), **Minimerc** (What are the answers to your questions? Sore wa himistu desu!), **MoroTheWolfGod** (I'm still not sure if I'll go too far back into Zel's past), **Filia Metallium** (That was supposed to be dramatic! But…good point…my excuse will just have to be that Filia didn't want to get naked, or something…), **Lauren-sama** (Good thing he didn't see her sans-nightgown, eh? ^^), **Winged Dancer** (I WAS uploading fast…if only I could always upload that fast…*sighs*), and **Kawai Fox** (Yay! Ranting! Don't worry…just because they kiss, doesn't mean there isn't going to be any more angst ^^ In fact, there might even be more…maybe. And Ame will still tortue Zel…somehow…Muahahaha!)

And…there's two new people who reviewed! YAY! *jumps up and down like a very happy and sugar-high child* First, I have to apologize to **Faith**. I'm very sorry for not putting your name in my thankies list last chapter…but I uploaded the last chap before I ever saw your review. But you really have inspired me ^^ Thanks so much for both your reviews, and I look forward to reading more! Thanks so much! Your reviews really mean a lot to me!!! And to **Graelyn**, thanks so much for reviewing! I'm really glad you love my fic!! Those words mean so much to me! ^^ Thanks so, so, so much for your review!

Hey, didn't I say something about making my notes shorter? o_O Ah well, maybe next time! Thanks to everyone who took the time to review the last chapter!! Remember how I said kingdoms a while ago? I meant I'd conquer a few worlds and then I'd give them to you people! That's how much you guys rock!!!! Well, till next time, this is Vivi Laney, signing out! (Hey, I just sounded like some cheesy news reporter! NO! What's the world coming to?! It's the school's fault, I tell you, the school's!) Or maybe its just because I'm sugar high…well, later peeps! –Vivi ^^ 


	18. From Determination to Desolation

**Chapter 18: From Determination To Desolation **

The morning suns rays poked through the boughs of the trees surrounding the path, where the two travellers walked in an awkward silence. The events of the night before were printed in their minds as clear as day. No matter what they did, or how far away they walked from each other, they were both always aware of the other's presence, and of how far or close they were to each other.

Zelgadis decided to keep his mouth shut firmly and not say anything; he didn't even want to look at her. He just berated himself for doing what he did, and argued with his mind as he walked, trying his hardest to keep any and all thoughts of a certain Princess out of his mind. _How could I have done that? _It was a question that had consumed him ever since he had woken up. He couldn't bring himself to look or talk to her, and he silently wished that he were invisible, though that was something he had wished many times before when people would stare at him. He didn't even want to think about the night before, but nothing he did kept those thoughts and images away, and every time they filled his mind, his cheeks flushed red. Images of their bodies pressed close, her lips soft and warm against his…

Damn, I have to get a hold on myself. Just concentrate on getting to Saillune as fast as possible… 

Amelia felt the silence grow and grow, a silence so loud she could've sworn it was deafening. With each passing moment the urge to scream out loud continued to grow, until she was sure that she would crack. They'd both been walking fast, their paces pounding quickly into the ground below. She didn't want to think about the man she was travelling with, or about the night before, so she forced herself to think about her home. _Saillune…_ They would reach Saillune sometime during the afternoon, and already the surrounding's looked familiar to her. She felt excited about returning home, about seeing her father and her friends, and even her city again. But just when those thoughts filled her mind, a feeling of dread washed over her.

_How could I have forgotten? _She asked herself, hugging her brown blanket closer to herself. She'd been so confused about Zelgadis, that she had forgotten about what Reirs had said, and the thought scared her. _What if everyone's already hurt? What am I going to do? Should I tell him? Should I tell anyone?_ She stopped, and felt like falling upon the ground to cry. She remembered why she had even found herself in Zelgadis' strong, safe arms the night before. The time she had nearly drowned once again crept into her mind, and the images from her vivid dreams. _Why? _She silently asked herself, her eyes blankly staring at the path beneath her. "Why?…"

Zelgadis turned to look at her when he heard a small whisper escape her lips. She sounded so…_afraid…and sad._ He didn't want the same thing that happened last night to happen again, so he only moved a few inches towards her, keeping note of the long distance between them. But he still couldn't seem to say anything to her.

_I've got to be strong about this. _Amelia thought, pushing away the thoughts and images filling her head._ Reirs said I'd be safe, as long as I'm with my friends, and when I reach Saillune, I'll be safe. I'll have father, and Lina, and Gourry to protect me. And I can protect myself. I…I have to be strong…And with Justice on my side, nothing and no one can harm me, or my friends._ She sighed, and looked up to see Zelgadis watching her. She looked away quickly, and continued walking as if nothing had happened. Her jaw was set with sheer determination, and she knew that nothing and no one could harm her or anyone she held dear to her. 

_Nothing…_

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A forest lay ahead of them, the last forest they would have to pass until they would reach her home. The great white holy city of Saillune. Saillune was less than an hour away, and the only thoughts Amelia let herself dwell on were how much she missed her home, and how she couldn't wait to reach there. But, glancing at Zelgadis, still walking ahead of her, she realized that she had to say something to him. The events of the night before were something she couldn't just forget about, and she had to understand why it had happened.

_But maybe he's mad at me, _she thought to herself as she stared at the chimera walking a good distance away. _I…I said I hated him…what if I've just depressed him even more?_ She felt guilty for telling him that, but she still wasn't sure if it was true. _I can't possibly hate him…or else I wouldn't be feeling so bad about telling saying those things._

She cleared her throat, feeling parched and dry. "Umm…Mr. Zelgadis?" She asked quietly, returning to formality. Zelgadis seemed to either not hear her, or was just simply ignoring her, because he just continued walking. "Mr. Zelgadis?" she asked again, a bit more loudly than before. Still, he continued walking, not once turning around to look at her. She let out a frustrated sigh and ran up to him, stopping when she found herself face to face with the chimera. Her cheeks went a bit pink, since the first thing her eyes landed on when she turned to face him were his lips, and she could remember how soft and moist they felt against hers.

_Get a grip! _She yelled at herself mentally, and pried her eyes away from his lips to look into his eyes. "We need to talk." She said bluntly, though she couldn't understand why her breathing seemed to quicken as he looked back into her eyes. _Must be because I don't know what he's going to say,_ she assured herself, her gaze not wavering.

He sighed, noticing how it seemed as if she wouldn't take no for an answer, but, he really didn't want to talk to her. It felt…too awkward. "We have nothing to talk about," was all he said, his voice sounding cold and harsh as tried to move past her, but she blocked his way by stepping in front of his path again.

"You know perfectly well that we have to talk, Mr. Zelgadis."

Zelgadis sighed, and shrugged his shoulders, as if in defeat. He knew what she wanted to talk about, but he didn't want to even think about it.

She opened her mouth, but found that she didn't know what to say. Where would she start? An awkward silence ensued as she wracked her brain to think of something, anything to say. "Umm…well…about last night…" She started, but fell short. What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to ask him? Her gaze fell to her feet, and she felt his eyes on her.

Zelgadis could tell she was just as nervous as he was. He decided to tell her what he had been using to assure himself that it was just an accident. "Amelia…what happened last night…well, it was a mistake. It shouldn't have happened."

Amelia felt relief wash over her; she felt the exact same way, that last night had been one big mistake. But Zelgadis wasn't finished talking yet.

"I guess we were both emotionally troubled, and we needed some sort of comfort. So it was just a mistake, the way we handled the situation. We must've been so overwhelmed that we needed something to…I don't know. It was just a mistake, and we should pretend that it never happened." The two fell silent, and Zelgadis walked past her and continued on their way to Saillune, which she knew, was so close. But he had said _'we were both emotionally troubled'_, and Amelia wondered what could've been wrong with Zelgadis. She continued to follow him, but at the sound of a yell, those thoughts completely disappeared. 

Zelgadis took out his sword, and stood at the ready, his face set. _Those voices, _Amelia thought to herself, _they sound so…familiar…_

"…by the power you and I posses!" 

_Lina!_ Amelia's mind screamed, seeing black dots flying in her direction in the blue afternoon sky, and a golden one just ahead of them, flying right over the trees as the black dots flew high up in the air. "DRAGON SLAVE!"

An intense wave of red shot up, and Amelia had to brace herself for the blast of air that blew past her. The golden figure from the sky slowly landed in between Zel and Amelia, with two other figures on the golden dragon's back. "Lina! Gourry! Filia!" The princess shouted as she ran up towards them, the dragon suddenly a blond woman in a pink dress and white cloak. Gourry smiled and waved when he saw the Princess, and Filia smiled also, although she looked very tired. 

"Not now!" Lina cried out, and pulled the Princess along as she ran again, everyone else following closely. Filia seemed warn out and lagged behind a little bit, but Zelgadis easily caught up to Lina. "Lina! What the hell is going on?"

"That's exactly what I'm going to ask Amelia, later!" She yelled back, and the five relentlessly pounded their feet against the ground, running away from something as Amelia looked shocked, being dragged by the red-haired sorceress in total confusion.

"What are you talking about, Miss Lina?" Amelia cried out, still being dragged by the red head. "Why are we running this way?! Saillune is the opposite way!"

"I know that!" Lina snapped, her breathing heavy as she ran. But Lina still hadn't answered her question. 

"Where are we going?!?!?!" Amelia demanded loudly, upset that Lina was refusing to tell her anything. And where were the apologies for saying what she had said, the night before she ran away from them? But she saw the determined look on Lina's face, and let herself be dragged. 

"Any place that **isn't** Saillune!" Lina yelled angrily, and pulled Amelia even more forcefully when she heard the young Princess start to complain.

--------------------------------

The cave was dark and dank; the only sound was of the heavy and seemingly laboured breathing coming from the five worn out figures. All they could see of each other were the dark shadows that outlined their bodies; black figures against a black backdrop. The sound of water dripping came from farther down the cave, and they had walked far enough down so that the light from the outside couldn't even reach them.

"Lighting!" Lina called breathlessly, and leaned against the closest thing to her; which happened to be a very exhausted Gourry. At first the sorceress didn't notice, until after a moment she noticed his steady breathing, and then became aware of how she could feel the contours his hard but comfortable and muscled chest that she happened to be leaning her whole body against. She almost jumped away from him, but no one took notice that she had even leaned against the blond swordsman, as they were all too busy relaxing from their tiring run.

After thanking the Lord of Nightmares for not letting anyone see her lean against Gourry, Lina sat down and leaned against the cavern's wall. Amelia sat opposite her, rubbing the wrist Lina had dragged her by. It was sore and red, so Amelia used a small healing spell to take away the pain. Zelgadis seemed to sit down reluctantly, followed by Gourry. Filia had collapsed on the floor as soon as the group had stopped.

Amelia was completely confused, and a bit upset. She had been so close to home, but they had run the other way. _Maybe something's happened to Saillune! Maybe something's happened to father!_ She thought, fear washing over her. Lina turned to look at the Princess, and knew that they both had some explaining to do.

But Zelgadis was the first to speak. "Lina, what were those things? Why weren't you at Saillune?"

Lina hesitated before she spoke. "We were at Saillune; all three of us. But…something happened…"

Amelia looked stricken. "Is Daddy ok? Nothing happened to him, right? RIGHT?! What happened?!?!"

"Amelia, calm down. It's not as bad as you think," Filia said, thought she knew it was worse, since that namagomi probably had something to do with everything. _That ugly mazoku always has something to do with it!_

"Is my father all right?" Amelia asked quietly, hoping with all her heart that he was. Filia turned to look at Lina, and Lina seemed to hesitate.

"We…don't know, Amelia. He left Saillune to look for you, but nobody knows what's happened to him. But I'm sure he's all right! He's your father, after all."

"No…" The word was barely a whisper from her mouth. "No…" 

Gourry went up to her and hugged her. "Don't worry, Amelia. Your father is just fine, I know it."

"What happened, Lina?" Zelgadis prodded, hoping it wasn't anything too bad.

"Saillune was under attack, even when we arrived. The Saillune army doesn't resort to violence, so they couldn't fight back. All anyone could do was cast barrier spells everywhere, to protect themselves. After Phil left to help search for Amelia, Christopher was left to control the kingdom until he got back. But soon after he left Saillune, these creatures started to attack. And then…after Filia arrived, we met this woman. She says she knows Amelia, and said she knew she was all right. And she said you, Amelia, know what's going on." Lina looked expectantly at the young Princess, who looked stricken.

"Wait," Zelgadis said, not even waiting for Amelia to respond. "Who was this woman, and why did Filia show up?"

Filia's face contorted with rage. "That stupid namagomi told me to go to Saillune! I knew something must be up, but I had no other choice! I had been looking for Amelia when he came to tell me that Lina and Gourry were at Saillune, and that I should join them. Oh, WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HIM I'LL….!!!!!" Her hand was at her mace, her face red with rage.

Gourry looked pensive for a moment. "Wait, didn't that lady say something about a ring, too? That she gave Amelia?"

_A ring?_ Amelia asked herself, feeling tears well up in her eyes. _No…it couldn't have been her, could it?_

Amelia sat in a shocked silence, her eyes wide with disbelief. _Of course…of course! _Underneath the fold of her dress, in a small hidden pocket, was the ring Reirs had given her. It was the small silver band that had once belonged to her mother.

Her voice sounded choked as she spoke. "I…I know who that woman is. And…And I know why this is happening…" She forced herself not to cry, and felt Gourry hold her even tighter as he whispered "It's ok, Amelia…" Lina's face softened when she saw the swordsman try to comfort his friend; their friend. 

She sniffled, but still she refused to let any of her tears fall down her face. She was glad that Gourry was comforting her, but it felt different, and for a moment she wished it were Zelgadis who was hugging her. Amelia felt so shocked and saddened that her mind couldn't even argue that she didn't want Zelgadis to be the one hugging her. "No," she choked out, her eyes falling to the floor. "They're after me. That woman was the one who told me. Someone's after me, and they're not going to stop. They're after me, and one of you too. It's…it's all my fault!" The tears spilled down her cheeks, everyone, looked shocked and torn. But Lina also looked angry. And Zelgadis looked annoyed.

"Oh stop it Amelia!" Zelgadis said, irritation clearly in his voice. "Stop blaming yourself. Stop wallowing in self-pity – we don't need to hear any of it. It isn't your fault, because you haven't done anything. So stop it already."

Amelia couldn't believe her hears. _The **nerve** of him! _

"Oh, **you're** one to talk, aren't you?" Amelia retorted loudly, glaring at him. __

"Stop acting like such a child! You're a young woman, Amelia, so start acting like it," came Lina's angry voice. 

Filia looked at Zelgadis and Lina reprovingly, as Amelia began to sob loudly. Lina, exasperated, and feeling bad, said, "Oh, common Amelia. Stop crying already. We aren't mad at you-"

"-It's just that we're mad at the situation, as you are," Filia finished. "We don't like this any more than you do."

"But…y-you just don't understand…." Amelia began again, wiping away her tears.

"Which is why you'll have to explain it to us, without blaming yourself every five seconds!" came Lina's annoyed voice. But her eyes were pleading.

Amelia sniffed, wiping her red-rimmed eyes. "It's all because they're after me…and that woman…you know who she is. I told you about her before, but I didn't really know who she was then. She's…she's…she's Reirs…" 

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*A/N: Hmmmm, I'm not too sure about this chapter. *scratches head* What do you people think? *sighs* Ah well…Sorry if it's a short chapter. And really dark. It'll get lighter, later on, if only just a bit.

Now, I know I haven't been very quick with my chapters lately, but I've been busy with school, among other stuff. And yes, this fic comes before any and all school work, but the NHL Playoffs come before this fic. Yes, I know, you all must be shocked. *glares* And put down that branch! Hitting me on top of the head with that thing isn't going to change my mind! But look! I'm still getting these chapters done, aren't I? *sighs and turns to faithful reviewers* And hitting me on top of the head with a beer bottle isn't going to change my mind, either. But…maybe more reviews will…(hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

And now *drum roll* the thankies! *insert corny music here* A million thanks to **KellyChan** (thnx so much for that review! It really means a lot! *sniffs* I'm not sure about my fic being one of the best on ff.net, but reading that comment really made me happy), **Digiriven **(thnx so much for your review, I'm honoured that my fic is in your top 5 favs! ^_^), **Filia Metallium** (thnx so much for your review! Muahaha! WD and I are bringing you over to the Z/A side! HAHA!), **Winged Dancer** (thnx so much for your review! Too bad Ame wasn't too upset about it…ah, I'll torture Ame and Zel later. Oh, and keep it up with your fic, it's really getting good!), **Faith** (Thnx so much, my new faithful reviewer! ^^ Zel and Ame don't seem too sure about each other again, but that's only because I love to torture them! HAHA *cough*), **Lauren-sama** (thnx so much for your review! I'm REALLY glad you liked the kissing scene, and yup, it really was my first! So thanx for saying you really thought I did a good job!), **MoroTheWolfGod** (Oh! Was it your b-day? Or are you just humming the happy birthday song? If its your b-day, well, happy belated b-day! If not…well, happy unbirthday! Thnx so much for your review!), **Kawai Fox** (Thnx so much for reviewing! I'm glad you find my AN's to be amusing ^^ I'm glad you really like the kissing scene too! As for the lemon…I doubt it, but I think maybe they'll start thinking some kinky thoughts about each other, Muahaha!! I like that word…kinky ^^), **Graelyn** (Thnnx so much for your review also!! I think I made another cliffhanger…*scratches head* hehe, whoops? I'm glad you also like the kissing scene! ^^), and **Minimerc** (Sorry if I never answer your questions, its just I have to keep you wondering and I don't want to spoil anything! But Ame ain't mad at Zel anymore, but she'll probably get mad at him again sometime in the near future, seeing as I love torturing them and all. Oh, and keep up the great work with your fic!! I wanna know what happens next!)

Ah, and my newest reviewers! Welcome to the dark side! MUAHAHAHA! Ahem. Thanks a lot to **Dreamsinger**! I'm glad you like this fic, and don't worry; Ame will get mad at Zel again, methinks ^^ Thanx for the constructive criticism, but I fear that I'll never really be able to get Zel in character properly. But Ame should've healed herself; a very good point ^^ Thnx so much! And to **America-chan**, I'm glad you really like my fic, and I'm honoured that you think its one of the best you've ever read! ^^ Ame/Zel forever! ^_^ \\//

Whoa! This has to be the longest notes I've ever typed up! Yipes! Sorry!! I'm sorta going through another extremely annoying case of writers block, but I think I can write it out ^^ Thnx so much for reviewing my fic! Keep up the reviews, and I'll conquer whole universes for you guys! Well, till next time! *turns and sees a large branch again* I thought I said that you CAN'T hit me with a branch! Umm…look, over there! It's…The Lord of Nightmares! *runs for her life as soon as everyone turns around, only to get hit on the head with a branch anyways*


	19. Nothing But The Rain

**A/N:** AHH! It's been, what, 4 or 5 weeks since I last wrote a chapter? I'm really, really sorry! Bad me! I've been very busy lately. I know, I know, I shouldn't give you people excuses. What I should give you is 4-5 weeks worth of apologies and chapters! So, once again, I'm really sorry!!! PLZ continue reading! I'm hoping I can make this fic better and better! Oh, and while I'm at it, just to make sure everyone knows this (although I'm sure you all do), I DO NOT OWN THE SLAYERS! If I did, I'd be rich and wouldn't be writing fanfics ^^ Enjoy the chapter! 

Chapter 19: Nothing But The Rain 

"What are we going to do?"

Filia glanced sideways to look at the sleeping Princess, a look of sympathy and worry etched into the ex-priestesses features. Amelia lay on the cold stone ground of the cave where she had cried herself to sleep, hugging her lithe frame. Her face looked drawn, mixed with a troubled look, as one hand clutched desperately onto the worn out brown blanket that offered little warmth in the chilly cave. She looked so helpless and alone, lying on the floor in her long blue dress, the brown blanket too short to cover her completely. It seemed as if even in her sleep, she couldn't find any peace.

"I have no idea. But…I don't trust this Reirs person," Lina said quietly, her face showing dislike at the name. 

"I agree," came Zelgadis' curt reply. "She tries to kidnap Amelia, and then warns her about trouble?" Lina sighed. She looked around the solemn cave with her ruby red eyes, taking in the damp, rough walls and the cold, dirty floor. She also took note of the sounds that came from the storm raging on outside. "It smells fishy to me," she said slowly, looking around at the others to see if they agreed.

"Fish?" Gourry asked, sitting up strait. "Where?"

Lina glared at the blond swordsman, her hands balling up into fists. "YOU STUPID IDIOT!" Lina yelled, throwing a huge rock at him. Gourry yelped and ducked, and decided it would be best not to say a thing for the rest of the night, so as not to upset Lina. Zelgadis looked at Lina sternly, and Lina slowly cooled off, but not before glaring at Zel for a moment too. _Stupid Gourry…he is the densest person I've ever met!_ She looked to her right, and, upon seeing Amelia sleeping uncomfortably, her thoughts returned to the dilemma they were all in. _Nothing seems right anymore. How can Amelia trust Reirs? She can't be that stupid – to so easily trust someone she doesn't even know. Does she really believe everything that woman told her? We have to find Phil…maybe he knows what's going on._

"Well, what are we going to do? We can't just sit in a cave and hide," Filia said as she leaned back against the rough stonewall. _I think we should find that traitorous namagomi and force some answers out of him for once,_ she thought maliciously as she fingered the mace beneath her dress. Zelgadis leaned back against the stonewall too, pondering Filia's question. For the moment, he decided to stay quiet and listen to what the others had to say. That, and he had a lot of thinking to do.

"Well, we should find some answers," Lina replied. Her face took on a thoughtful look before she continued. "And maybe we should head back to Saillune. Amelia's going to want to go there anyways, I'm sure of it. Besides, maybe Christopher knows something we don't." _And maybe Phil returned to Saillune and knows something too…_

"But Lina," Filia began, sounding a bit unsure, "I don't think that's the best idea. Those things are after Amelia and one of us. And we can't fight them. They're too fast. If we're lucky enough to kill them, more just come in their place."

"I wonder what those things were…" Gourry asked out loud, his face one of heavy concentration. Vividly, he could remember the black skeletal creatures, their leathery wings expanding to twice the length of the creature's body. Their eyes, horrible hollow and cold, smouldered with every colour imaginable, burning and immeasurable.  Their claws, so much like human hands, were rotting, and twice the size of a normal human's. And there were, of course, their sharp fangs, and hot, putrid breath, as they shrieked ear-shattering cries to one another. The swordsman shuddered as he remembered.

"Well, they're not of this world. They can't be," Filia said assuredly. "I've never seen anything quite like them…or so horrible. And whenever they make those terrible cries, there's always this nagging feeling. Did any of you guys feel that?"

Lina thought about it for a moment. "It almost felt like I was remembering something I didn't want to remember…"

"You guys too?" Gourry looked slightly relieved, knowing that they weren't going to call him stupid for having felt it. "Geez, because I thought the feeling got worse as soon as we saw Amelia."

Zelgadis just sat back, watching all of this silently. He took in their words, trying to figure it out, but to no avail. _What the hell could those creatures have been?_

Lina stretched out her legs, thinking for a moment. They she looked up and smiled sadly at Gourry. "You're right, Gourry, it did become stronger when we got close to Amelia. But," she added, hesitantly, before plunging on, "It didn't exactly seem real though. I mean, those damn things just didn't seem real, and those sounds it made, and the smell of them…."

"It was almost as if we were in a dream of some sort," Filia finished, looking as if she'd almost figured it out. But then the light went out of her eyes, and she slumped back against the cave's wall. 

Lina stopped counting the coins and small jewels she had hidden, and began putting them away. As she did, she spoke, very sure of herself. "Well, we have to try something. It's all or nothing, because sooner or later those things will find us. And I don't want to sit around and wait."

Gourry nodded his approval, adding, "And besides, Amelia has us to protect her."

"No," came a shaky voice. The group turned around to see Amelia sitting up, her brown blanket wrapped around her tighter than ever. "You can't risk your lives for me anymore. You've all done it one too many times already…" she said, trailing off as she remembered the time against Gaav and when Zelgadis had saved her. But it had left him greatly wounded, and he had been surrounded by blood…

Amelia shook her head, wiping the images from her mind. _Be strong, Amelia, strong. Don't think about it…or him…_

"But-" Lina began, but Amelia interrupted the red haired sorceress. "No, Lina. I just want all of this to stop. I…I have to talk to Reirs. And…and my father…"

Lina sighed labouredly. "Amelia…I **really** don't trust her. And I mean really. There's something about her that I don't like. And we have no idea where Phil is," she added thoughtfully. _Although I want to find him too,_ Lina thought to herself. _Maybe he knows who this Reirs woman is…_

"But she's the one with all the answers!" Amelia argued back, her voice weak.

"We aren't going to look for her! For all we know she could be behind all this!" _How can she be so dense? I can't believe it…she must've grown up. She can't still think that she can trust anyone who seems decent. Hasn't she realized that the world isn't all sunshine and daises?_

"And if she were, I would've already been dead!" Amelia said, her voice rising. "She's had enough chances to kill me already."

Lina just sat there, her mouth slightly open. _Ok, maybe she **has** grown up a bit, because now she has a point._ She couldn't think up anything to argue back with, and so she sighed and slumped over in what looked like a defeated way. An uncomfortable silence ensued. She hated to admit it, but Amelia had got her there. _But maybe Reirs wants something from her…_and as Lina opened her mouth to triumphantly show that she COULD, indeed, argue back, and that she DID have a reason, Filia decided to pip up.

"Amelia, honestly," Filia sighed, shaking her head. "There could be many reasons on why she wouldn't want you dead yet. Maybe she has something in mind. How would you know if she has something up her sleeve? Trust is a very powerful ally, but can also turn on you and become the weapon of the enemy. You have to be careful…"

"You don't even know Reirs! None of you do!" Amelia argued back, and Zelgadis took this as his time to re-enter the conversation. He had been sitting silently with his back leaned up against the stone wall, watching the conversation the rest of the group had been having. "You don't even know her either, Amelia."

Amelia turned to glare at him, but she couldn't seem to find anything to say back. Instead, she looked at him with a confused expression. She didn't know what to think of Zelgadis anymore, or what he had said. She tried to act as if nothing had happened between them, but the images of that night kept coming back to her unwillingly. As the silence between the group grew, Amelia decided that she didn't have time to think about it. _We both decided that it was a mistake, so then I should just forget about it. It was nothing, and besides, he's probably forgotten about it too. There's too much that I have to figure out, I can't keep on dwelling on it…_

I have to be strong. I have to find Reirs and my father…and I have to find myself… 

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Not another word was spoken between the five friends. Every now and then Lina opened her mouth to say what she had been about to say, but then she'd change her mind and close it again. _Besides, _Lina thought, _Filia pretty much voiced what I was going to say._ They were all engulfed with their own thoughts, their hearts, bombarded with emotions. Every now and then, someone would look worriedly at Amelia, before returning to his or her thoughts. The empty silence was only filled by the light patter of the rain hitting the earth, and the soft sounds of water dripping through cracks in the cave. Lina, feeling restless, stood up silently and, without a word, began to walk to the entrance of the cave, leaving behind her cape. As she neared the entrance, the scent of rain reached her nose, and she could see the dim light come from outside. She stood, leaning against the stone wall, as her ruby eyes scanned the scenery before her. The rain was much louder now, and created a veil of water at the end of the opening.

_I wonder what Amelia's been through these past few days. She's not acting like herself. And Zelgadis seems much more quiet than usual. _She closed her eyes, and images of a crumbling Saillune flashed before her eyes. The ceilings were missing on almost all the houses; some buildings weren't even standing anymore. The streets were littered with rubble and were cracked, while people fled the streets to reach the castle, where it seemed the whole town was taking shelter. The screams of women, children and men filled her head, as they cowered before the strange creatures the red head had been forced to run away from. Lina was so caught up, she didn't hear someone come up behind her. She jumped as she felt a hand touch her shoulder and, whirling around, her eyes flared up with annoyance and anger.

"GOURRY!!!!" She yelled, glaring at him. She felt like pounding his head in.

"Are you alright, Lina?" He asked, worry etched along his handsome features. Lina's face softened unwillingly; she wanted to be mad at him, but she just couldn't find herself to be angry with the tall swordsman. Lina sighed, and turned to look back outside, the sheer curtain of water making the scenery outside look submerged in water.

"I'm fine, Gourry. I just came here to think."

A comfortable moment of silence passed between the two, until Gourry spoke.

"Lina," Gourry began, walking up beside her. "I'm worried about Amelia. And Phil."

"I'm worried about Amelia too, but I'm sure Phil's fine. He left Saillune before the attack, so he's probably fine. I mean, we are talking about Phil here." _Now if only we could be able to find him,_ she thought to herself, mentally sighing.

Gourry glanced sideways at the petit sorceress, completely awed by her. _She's so small, and yet she looks the most calm out of all of us. She always seems to have her cool; never panics. Worry, yes. Panic, no. I wonder how she's able to do that…_

Lina glanced up at him, and inwardly smiled. _He's always there for people. Always. I don't know how he does it._

The two stood like that for a moment; neither of them moving their eyes away from the other. It seemed as if their gaze would never leave each other, until thunder sounded from the storm raging on outside and lightning struck, illuminating each other's faces. Lina was the first to look away, and together they walked back in silence to the rest of the group.

----------------------------------------------- 

After Lina and Gourry had returned, the group had sat in an uncomfortable silence for the rest of the day, and when morning came, the sounds of the storm from outside greeted them. The rain still thundered down hard against the cave they took shelter in, leaving them hungry and cold. Amelia had woken up in a cold sweat; she had had that nightmare again. The whole night, the young raven-haired Princess had tossed and turned in her sleep, never able to find any peace of mind, asleep or not. Vaguely, she remembered feeling a hand pull her blanket around when it had fallen off of her during her restless night. As morning approached, Amelia had been the first to wake up, her breathing short and heavy. She had slowly put her head in her hands and fought back the tears that threatened to spill over and drown her in her own sorrow.

_Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Amelia,_ she told herself, her hands now running through her hair. She sighed, racking her brains for an answer to one of her many questions in her mind. _I hope Daddy's all right…no, I'm sure he's all right. Nothing could've happened to him, I know it. I just know it…and he'd probably want me to go and help protect Saillune and our people. _She turned to look at the red sorceress sleeping to her left. _Lina's right…it's all or nothing. We have to go back to Saillune…we have to go and get some answers._

Zelgadis wasn't sure what to do. He had woken up just after Amelia had, but decided not to let her know that he was awake. He watched her closely, reassuring himself that he was only doing so because he was worried that something might happen, and not because he was still trying to figure out what had happened between them. He had forced himself to keep her out of his mind, but when everything that was happening somehow always involved her, it was a bit hard to do. He concentrated on thinking about the problem at hand, and nothing else. 

_I wonder what those things that were chasing us were,_ Zelgadis thought._ I should ask Lina when she wakes up. Maybe they've figured something out by now._

It took Filia only a few minutes before she woke up, and she was followed shortly afterward by Lina, who ended up having to shake Gourry awake. "I swear, the things I have to do these days…" she mumbled under her breath with an annoyed tone as the blond swordsman groggily began to sit up.

Amelia had hardly paid any attention to her surroundings; the only things she heard were the thoughts flying around in her head and the steady sound of the rain sounding against the cave as the storm continued its relentless attack on the earth below. _Seems like there's nothing but the rain, _she thought to herself as she kept her attention fixed on the only sound that she could hear from outside. 

They all slowly became aware of how hungry and cold they all were, and both Lina and Gourry's stomachs growled with want. "Awww, Lina…I'm really hungry…" he complained, putting back on his blue armour and placing his scabbard and sword at his side. He rubbed his stomach and sighed, thinking of all the food he wanted to eat at that moment. 

Lina sighed and rubbed her empty stomach also. "I know…I'm hungry too." Lina's stomach rumbled like an earthquake, and Lina made an unsatisfied moan. "Forget hungry, I'm **starving!**"

Filia sighed, unable to believe that they hadn't changed a bit. But Zelgadis paid no attention to their complaints; he wanted to ask Lina something. "Lina," he began, but she quickly interrupted him. "If you don't have food," she began, looking him seriously in the eye, "then I'm not going to say anything. I'm really hungry and I can't talk with an empty stomach."

Zelgadis sighed and shook his head. "It's important Lina..."

"And my appetite is important too! Food **is** important!!" she said loudly, stressing the last three words.

_I can't believe this,_ Zelgadis thought to himself as he shook his head before he continued. "Lina, it's about those things that were chasing us…what were they? Have you figured it out yet?" Amelia turned around, wanting to know more about the strange creatures too. She didn't know that the group had been talking about the strange creatures earlier, for she had woken up when she heard Filia mention something about being in a dream.

Lina immediately became serious. "I really have no idea. I still can't figure it out. I'm still as stumped as I was earlier. They look like some sort of demon, but I don't think that's what they are. They seem…different. And they're not monsters, at least I don't believe they are. Those things aren't trolls, or golems or even chimeras. They…aren't right. Something isn't right about them."

"I got a good look at them too, and I've never seen them in any of the books I've read," Zelgadis said thoughtfully. "I don't think they're from this world…"

"Whatever they are, they're fast and powerful, and there's a lot of them," Filia added, thinking hard once again about the creatures they had run away from. "It's as if they came out of no where."

"Maybe they did come out of nowhere," Gourry said thoughtfully, resting his chin in his hand. Lina decided to ignore his comment.

"Why doesn't anything make sense? There aren't any links, there's no leads…we're in the dark!" Lina cried out, frustrated. She turned to Amelia, and sighing, she asked her, "Do you have any idea what those things are?"

Amelia thought hard for a moment. She hadn't gotten a good look, but something about them stirred up something from her memory. They seemed…familiar…_but no, I've never seen these things before. Where would I have possibly seen them? _But she felt an uncomfortable feeling move down her back, and shrugged it off. _Maybe it just seems familiar because those things were in my nightmare last night…but I really have no idea where those things come from._ "No…I have no idea what they are. I didn't even get a good look at them. I don't think Reirs told me about them either."

Lina looked at Amelia wearingly as she heard Amelia say Reirs' name again. _Why does she always have to mention her…_she asked herself, mentally sighing. _Who is she really?…_

They all sat dejectedly, blankly staring as they racked their minds to figure out something. It would have been completely silent if it weren't for the rain that pounded the cave relentlessly. After a few moments of near-silence, Amelia spoke up.

"Lina…I think we should go to Saillune to find some answers. And it isn't Just, leaving the city helpless. Innocent people might get killed if we don't do something! We have to get to Saillune as soon as possible. It's the only Just thing to do."

Lina smiled inwardly; Amelia was starting to act like her old self with all the justice talk. "Welcome back, Amelia," came Lina's reply, her lips curling up into a grin.

Amelia moved back a bit, completely shocked and surprised at what Lina had said. But before Amelia could question Lina on what she had meant, Lina got up, grabbing all of her belongings, and began walking towards the opening, calling back to them, "Come on, guys, let's get a move on. It's unjust to leave my stomach empty also, so lets start doing the Just things that have to be done!"

Gourry immediately started to follow the red head out of the cave, whooping with delight at the prospect of getting food. Without another word, the rest of the group left the dank and cold cave and stepped into the wet world, with the rain pouring down as relentlessly as ever. The cold silver beads flew down from the dark morning sky, the clouds low over their heads as they began to trudge through the muddy ground beneath their feet. They were immediately soaked to their bones, but Lina led them on, their gazes always carefully searching their surroundings in case the creatures decided to show up. Filia lagged behind the group, staring down at the clothes that were now hugging and clinging to her skin, and brushed away the stray hair that got plastered to her face. _Maybe I can fly above the clouds, _she thought to herself. But she wasn't willing to get naked even for a brief second to change into a dragon to do that. Sighing, she tried to catch up to the rest of the group, only to stumble and almost fall.

"Lina!" Filia called out, her voice trying to overpower the sound of the heavy bullets of rain that shot from the sky. "We can't get to Saillune like this! We'll never make it there!!"

"Of course we will!" Lina called back to the golden dragon as she walked ahead of the rest of the group. "It's nothing but the rain!"

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*A/N: Well, its been a while, but the chapter came! YAY! Aren't you people glad that I'm not dead so that I can finish this fic? So, what'd you think? I figured that its been a bit dark recently, so I decided to lighten it up just a bit. Although, I have to admit, in the beginning I wasn't planning that at all. Did any of you find this chapter a bit lighter, or slightly amusing? I hope so. Now, I know sometimes our favourite group of…umm…well, our favourite group goes a bit OOC, but that's just how its got to be. Now, on to my thankies! *applause*

Thanks to **Faith** (thanx for the constructive criticism! I wasn't too sure about the last chapter either, but I'm glad you still liked it ^^), **Minimerc** (Don't worry, don't worry, Zel and Ame will get together. I just need to torture them both a little more), **destructive sorceress** (I'm really glad that you really like my fic! I'll be sure to check out your fics later, when I have the time ^^), **Digi-Riven **(Heheheh…well, this chapter took a while to come…*scratches head* I hope you don't mind too much!), **Winged Dancer** (thnx for that little bit of constructive criticism. And don't kick yourself too hard ^^ I think I didn't really make that too clear anyways. Oh well ^^), **MoroTheWolfGod** (Well, your b-day passed a while ago…June 3rd, right? Well, happy belated b-day, Moro!), **Lauren-sama** (I'm glad you really liked the last chapter ^^ Sorry it took so long for this chap to come!), **Kawai Fox** (Was that little L/G part in this chap cute? Sorry this took so long! Remember…Kinky thoughts!!), **Graelyn** (It might take a wee bit longer to find out what's really happening! *cackles* And I'm really glad you liked my last chapter! ^^), and **kaerra **(NHL playoffs are over! *pouts* But I guess your fiancé was happy. I was rooting for the Maple Leafs, but alas, we lost against the Hurricanes. But there's always next time, I suppose ^^ Well, I'm glad you liked the last chapter!)

Once again, I'm really sorry this chapter took so long. I hope you don't mind too much! Thanks so much for all your reviews! You're all the best! And I even got over **100 reviews**!!! Thanx so much to everyone who reviewed! It really means a lot to me! 100!! I don't think I'll get over this anytime soon ^^ And if I can count right, I believe that MoroTheWolfGod was my 100th reviewer. Well, thanks so much to everyone who reviewed! Remember how I said I'd give you your own universes? I meant galaxies! Anyways, Ja ne!! –Vivi Laney


	20. The Point Of No Return

Chapter 20: The Point of No Return 

Filia grumbled to herself miserably. She was cold, wet, tired and hungry, and following the raywinging group in front of her. She teleported to keep up with them, muttering curses under her breath. Her golden hair was plastered to her face, and her clothes clung to her as the rain mercilessly pounded down on them like silver bullets.

The whole group was soaked to the bone, their wet clothes weighing down upon them. They had originally set out by walking in the cold rain, but Lina, and her poor rumbling stomach, wanted to get to any place with food as quickly as possible. Filia's shoulders drooped from the weight of her clothes, and she kept what little sanity she had left by blaming everything on a certain purple haired masochist mazoku.

But of course, blaming said mazoku didn't change that fact that she was cold, wet, tired and hungry. "Lina!" The golden ryuzoku called out. "Lina, can we please stop?"

Lina paused in the air for a moment, one hand holding onto Gourry, before she silently descended, her small feet touching the wet ground. Everyone else stopped beside the sorceress as she turned to face Filia, the rain still beating down upon all of them.

"Sure," Lina said, turning back around and facing the direction they were heading. Filia sighed, feeling relieved. "After," Lina added over her shoulder, "we find some food!" And the redhead quickly took off again, laughing. 

"Why me?" Filia muttered, and followed after the group once again. Amelia and Zelgadis had been quiet ever since they left the cave, and they always avoided the other's gaze. No one in the group seemed to notice this, though. Zelgadis was normally on the quiet side, and so they shrugged off his silence as brooding, and Amelia had already been through a lot, and they knew she was probably worried about Saillune and her father.

Lina's laughter died out quickly; and no one in the group had joined her in her laughter. And it hadn't been a happy laugh; it was just something Lina longed to hear her friends do. The redhead could never stand a melancholy mood while travelling, and so she always tried to make light of anything she possibly could to lift the mood. But the mood never lightened, no matter how hard she tried. She had tried before, to hide her real feeling's by laughing and acting as if nothing was wrong, and she was trying it yet again. But the fact that they were heading towards a crumbling Saillune, to fight creatures they couldn't seem to beat, made everyone feel quite gloomy. And with Amelia no longer her optimistic and energetic self, Lina felt the need to have something to laugh about. To see some other emotion other than worry and sadness flit across their faces, and hers.

A heavy silence fell, filled with only the sounds of the harsh wind against their bodies and the pounding of rain. Filia, in the middle of thinking malicious thoughts about a certain trickster priest, suddenly felt a cold shiver run down her back. She stopped in her tracks and looked around. Trees surrounded the path they were following, and just beyond the first row of trees lay darkness. Nothing looked out of the ordinary; nothing moving in the shadows, no sounds of feet following or of something up above. And yet…

She turned back around, pushing her suspicions out of her mind. _Just concentrate on what to do once we all reach Saillune…and how to tear the filthy namagomi's limbs from his body…no, no, just think of Saillune and the bad guys…_

She teleported again; everything passing her in a whirl of dark colours and shapes. The group was just above her, and she continued to teleport after them to keep up. It wouldn't be long now until they reached Saillune…

She stopped again and scanned her surrounding's once more. _Just think…_She glanced to her left, a_bout…_She glanced to her right, _what we should do…_She glanced behind her, her eyes becoming mere slits in her face, _once we get to…Saillune…_

She whipped herself around to her left again, and stared into the darkness behind the first row of trees. _There!_ She thought to herself, staring harder into the gloom. _I know I saw something move…_

"Oi! Filia!!!"

Filia turned back around, and saw in the distance the shapes of her friends, all hovering in the air.

"Stop lagging behind!" Lina called out, her one arm outstretched and holding onto Gourry. "The sooner I get my food, the better!!"

With one last glare at the trees, Filia teleported right underneath Lina and Co.

"Sorry Lina…I could've sworn -"he golden haired ryuzoku started, as Lina took off again, yelling something incoherently and dragging behind her a bewildered Gourry- "- I saw something," Filia finished to herself, beginning to feel listless.

But Filia couldn't shake off that nagging, insistent feeling…she could sense someone…or something…She shook her head, trying to get rid of the ever-growing feeling of being watched, and continued to teleport to keep up with the rest of the group.

-----------------------------------------

Zelgadis had been watching Filia curiously, wondering at what it was that was making her hesitate. _Maybe she doesn't want to go back to Saillune, _he thought for a moment. _No…no, she keeps looking around. Maybe she's seen something…_

As the blue chimera flew above the path, his eyes darted to the canopy of trees below. He looked for something unusual…anything just a little out of the ordinary. He even tried to use his sharp hearing to hear something prowling around in the shadows below. But he could only hear the wind breeze past him and the rain pound against his body and the ground below. He glanced back at Amelia, and a worried expression flitted across his face for a moment.

Amelia looked…horrible.

There were black circles under her eyes. She flew at the end of the group, ignoring everything around her except for the rain that continued to bear down upon them and the brown blanket she clutched around herself protectively. The raven-haired Princess had the strong urge to stop; a part of her didn't want to see Saillune. It was the same part that was afraid, and wanted to find a hole to hide in. It was the same part that wanted to curl up into a pathetic ball and cry. It was the same part of her that felt like an injured animal that had just lost all rays of any hope for living.

But she had to stay strong. She would be stronger than her sister had ever been—and she would not let anyone else see how much she was really hurting inside. She didn't want anyone to ever see that other side of her—the doubting side--ever again. She wouldn't let her fear control her, and she wanted everyone around her to see it. She wasn't just some small, annoying child.

She chanced a glance over at Zelgadis, her face deceiving her and showing everyone what it was she was thinking. But the chimera wasn't looking; and as she watched his sharp profile, she felt a tingling sensation pass through her. She turned away quickly, dismissing the feeling. She was sure it was because she knew that they were so close to Saillune. 

Although Amelia knew she had to be strong, she still felt despair, fear and frustration flow through her veins. But her heart pumped loudly in her chest, reminding her that she was still alive, as it pumped courage and strength through her. She breathed in deeply, willing herself to be calm—_If not for myself, than for father,_ she told herself.

-----------------------------------

"I hate the rain," Filia grumbled to herself, the cold chilling her to the bone. 

"Oh, I rather like it."

Filia cringed, and the rest of the group overhead stopped silently. The golden ex-priestess could feel her blood boil, as her hands clenched at her sides, longing to grab her mace. _Stay cool and collected…don't let someone like HIM get to you,_ she told herself, as she forced her body to turn and look at the owner of the cheery voice she had just heard.

He stood there, a grin on his face; his eyes closed in that annoying expression of his. His purple hair didn't look wet at all, and in his white-gloved hands he held a staff, a blood red stone set into it. His black cloak flew behind him in the breeze as he continued to grin at her.

"If I wanted your opinion, which I wouldn't have wanted anyways, I would've given it to you," Filia said calmly, though on the inside she felt that smashing his head open would give her true peace of mind. 

"Now, Fi-chan…don't act like the selfish, undignified dragon you are. Everyone is entitled to my opinion," he said, smiling even wider than before. Filia dug her nails into the palm of her hand to stop from turning into a dragon to blast him into smithereens. _Well, two can play at this game…_

"I don't think the opinion of a filthy, pig-headed namagomi counts as much," the golden haired ryuzoku said airily, grinning at him. Her grin turned into a smile when she saw his eye twitch, and his smile falter.

But Lina didn't want to waste time. She was hungry, and she did want to get to Saillune as soon as possible. Was it just a mere coincidence that they were stalled by Xellos when they were already so close to Saillune? They were only minutes away from the white, holy city…

"Xellos!" The redhead called out somewhat cheerily, interrupting the wave of insults and cynicism flying from the mouths of both the mazoku and the ryuzoku. She flew down with Gourry following (seeing as he was holding onto Lina). The rest of the group dropped down to the ground also, Amelia almost reluctantly. She wasn't sure if she would be able to continue towards Saillune again if she stopped now, when she was already so close…even the trees looked familiar to her already.

"Why Lina! How've you been lately?" Xellos chirped up cheerfully, completely ignoring the fuming dragon standing only a few feet away. He sounded as if he just happened to walk past her and was surprised to see her.

"Not bad…" came her reply as she walked up to the trickster priest. "But I was wondering…what are you doing here?"

"Lina! You sound so suspicious. I only came by to see my Fi-chan…"

"I'M NOT YOUR'S AND DON'T CALL ME FI-CHAN!!!!" Filia cried, lifting up her pink dress to get her beloved mace-sama. She swung hard at him and missed...again… _What happened to the good old days when I could ACTUALLY HIT HIM!?_ She thought, feeling completely frustrated.

"Oi…Lina," Gourry began, nudging the sorceress' side a bit, eyeing the mace in Filia's hand warily. He had…met it up close, once before, and he didn't seem in any hurry to relive that experience. "Maybe we shouldn't get TOO close to Filia…" 

Zelgadis sighed, putting a hand to his face. Xellos was the **last** person he wanted to see…and he seemed to have the worst timing in the world…either that, or the best…

Amelia was too immersed in her thoughts to really notice that Xellos was there; she had seen him, but the fact that he was there didn't really register in her mind. She hugged her middle, the blue dress she still wore ripped, dirty and wet, and her brown blanket was held fast by one hand. She lifted her gaze to look down the road, in the direction of Saillune.

She could see images in her mind; the beautiful, tall white walls surrounding the city, all crumbled and destroyed, its rubble lying in the no-longer busy streets. The streets themselves were cracked, the building's missing walls…destruction everywhere…

Amelia closed her azure eyes, and shook her head of the images. Did she really want to see Saillune? Were people…dead? Because of her? _Do I really want to find out?_ But something inside her told her that she knew she had to get to Saillune…had to save whoever and whatever she could. She had to do the smart thing—the right thing—the Just thing…But she didn't want to. She didn't want to see her home, destroyed. It didn't seem real to her yet, and if she were to never see it, then it wouldn't really be real…it wouldn't seem real, because she wouldn't have seen it with her own eyes.

Maybe she could just forget it all…forget how much pain she was in, and how lonely she would feel if she did see Saillune destroyed. She knew what was the right thing—the Just thing to do, but she didn't have to do it. She could turn her back…but what would that do? It would mean spending the rest of her life never knowing for certain. She would be hiding. She would be in terror every day of her life because someone would still be out there, trying to kill her…and one of her friends…but that would be better than the way she was living now, wouldn't it?

Right now, she was scared, afraid, terrified, sad, depressed, worried, cold, hungry, wet, lost, alone, confused, and uncertain…Anything would be better than what she was living through now, right? She sighed inwardly, her chest heaving with suppressed sobs.     

She opened her eyes, and glanced around her, taking everything in. The dirt path she was standing on, the surrounding trees, the rain falling lightly now, the harsh wind causing her hair to fly past her face, and the people standing before her…her friends. She studied each one of them closely for a moment, almost hesitating when her gaze fell upon Zelgadis. Her dark eyebrows knotted, as she thought hard for a moment about him.

She then turned back to look down the road again, towards the white city, and just as she did, the wind rolled past her from behind, causing her blue skirt to ripple ahead of her, trying to follow the wind, her ebony black hair flying into her face and in front of her. It was like a wave had hit; even the trees and the grass bent towards Saillune, the strong gust of wind forcing the pebbles around her feet to roll past her. Ahead…she would follow the wind, she could feel it push against her back, and whisper as it moved past her.

She felt herself shiver involuntarily. The voices of her friends became clearer as the sound of the wind roaring in her ears died down. Her black hair now only fluttered in front of her face as the wind became a gentle breeze; still insisting for her to move forwards, but soft enough so that it gently tickled her olive skin.

Amelia glanced towards her friends for a moment, and then began to move forward. Nothing was going to stop her from reaching Saillune. A quiet thought at the back of her mind told her she was going home. 

"Amelia? Amelia! Where are you going?" Lina called out when she turned to see her friend walking with her jaw set towards Saillune. Zelgadis was trying to catch up to Amelia, and he was soon followed by the rest of the group.

"I'm going home, Lina. I'm going to Saillune." And with that, Amelia raywinged into the air, and the rest of the group followed. Filia and Xellos, however, stayed on the path.

"What a cute tail, Fi-chan! Oooh! And you even wear a pink and white garter!" Xellos commented happily. Filia shrieked as she turned to see Xellos peeking under her skirt, her tail sticking out behind her. "NAMAGOMI!!!!!!!!" She screeched, flailing her mace around her wildly. Xellos jumped back, winked at her, and disappeared. Filia made a noise of frustration, and, turning back around to see the group ahead of her, teleported to catch up to them.

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"We should stop now," Lina said, landing quietly on the path just as Filia appeared right before them. Everyone else had landed quietly beside the sorceress as well, curiosity and confusion etched across their features. "We don't want to be seen."

Nobody had to ask the question, "Seen by whom". Even Gourry had understood. They quietly walked up a very small hill, and hesitated for a moment, making sure there were no shadows in front of them, or sounds. The five stood at the top of the small hill, a row or two of trees right in front of them, keeping them all from view of the city, and the view of the city from them.

Everyone turned to look at Amelia, who had taken a deep breath. She looked at Lina, who whispered, "There's no turning back now." Nodding, the Crown Princess emerged from the shelter of the trees to see the white city of Saillune in front of her, no longer shining in brilliance, but crumbled and broken, the remains of a gate in front of her not too far away. Not everything was collapsed; most of the city's walls still stood, and there were still buildings standing. In the heart of the once magnificent holy city, her castle still stood, though it's windows were shattered and the walls were cracked. The group followed her out into the open to see the city in front of them.

Amelia breathed in a ragged breath, and tears spilled from her eyes, sliding silently down her olive cheeks and off her chin onto the ground beneath them. Her home. Destroyed. **Her home.** It was real. It did happen. She couldn't run now. But small voice in her head, so small she almost missed it, gave her strength, and with it, anger. It was a tiny thought, soft and hardly there. It was a thought that came and went, but left behind strength and anger. 

She was home.

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*A/N: Hi again everyone! I've been missing for a while again! I'm so sorry! But…well, what did you think of the latest chapter. I'm actually quite pleased, although I didn't read through it, so there might be a few mistakes. It also happens to be the longest chapter I've ever written! *grins* But I'm sorry that its still a bit short, though, cause it is…

Anyways, thanks to everyone who reads this fic, and thank you all for reviewing! Pretty much everyone who reviewed this chapter were all new! So thanks to **Jellybe** (I'm not sure if L and G will really get together), **Allie** (I'm glad Amelia's maturity is still believable), **Ironic Paradise** (Sorry this chap took a while!), **Menequilda Baggins** (Thnx for the support! Love your name, too ^^), **NeoChaosCrystal** (trickster priest showed up, and he will again very, very soon!), **Mu Mao** (thnx so much for your review, I hope I get to read some of your work once you get it up. Has your sister left a review? If not, tell her I say thanx for reading. If she has, well, she's already been in the spotlight ^^) and last, but definitely not least, one of my faithful reviewers, **Faith**! (Heheh…oops? Sorry about being slow these days…^^)

Thank you all for reviewing! You're all the best! And thanks to the people who don't review, but still read. I'm sure there's a few of you! Till next time! –Vivi Laney 

    


	21. The Enemy Revealed

Chapter 21: The Enemy Revealed

With every step she took, her heart pounded harder against her chest. She was vaguely aware of the sound of her friends' footsteps beside and behind her, and of the light drizzle of rain that remained. Looking up, she passed underneath the broken gate of the white city, nearly tripping over the rubble and debris that lay all around her. Was she really home already? It seemed like it took no time at all to reach the city of Saillune, no longer shining in its white brilliance, no longer tall and glorious, no longer bright and beautiful. And yet the days had been long, and she felt as if years had passed. She felt aged and old and weary. But after that long eternity that, looking back now, had felt like only a few blurry seconds, she was back. She was home. 

But then, why did she still feel so lost?

It was a crumbling ruin of white stone that greeted her very own eyes. She was once again walking along the very same streets that had been lively and full of people. These streets had been filled with joyous voices and laughter, bursting with vivid colours and different people, energetic children and patient parents… 

But now the streets were cracked; ruined; empty. She felt tears fill her sapphire eyes, and anger caused her fists to clench at her sides. Looking around at the ruined buildings around her more closely, she could see people—her people—hiding and watching in fear. She stared into their bruised and terrified faces; and they stared back into her sad and horrified one. One by one, more and more shadows moved into the light to look upon their Princess, but no one cried out joyously. No one was filled with hope. There was something in their eyes that Amelia couldn't read, but she still turned away. She couldn't bear to look into their hurt faces.

To them, she was the Princess who left when they needed her most. Where was the justice in that?

As if in response to the questions in the gazes of faces surrounding the group, Lina shuddered involuntarily, the sight before her filling her yes, and felt a large and comforting hand rest on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Gourry's small and reassuring smile, before he looked away and scanned the scene that lay before them all. She felt a warmth stir in the pit of her stomach, and after staring up at his handsome profile for a moment, she turned away also, thankful for the warmth he could give her. The rain had ceased just then, and she became fully aware that she was soaked to the bone. Her wet red hair was plastered onto her equally wet face, and her ruby eyes showed the sympathy she felt towards the people huddled in the shadows; pity, even. But she would not be afraid, and she would not show how weak she felt at that moment; she was the Enemy of All Who Live, and the great and beautiful Sorcery Genius. She had fought a piece of Shabranigdo, Hellmaster Phibrizzo and the dark lord Dark Star. She had to be strong for everyone else now, just as she had been then.    

The blond swordsman's other hand rested on the hilt of his sword, as did the blue chimera's. Filia's eyes filled with tears also; these people looked like frightened animals, with their large, scared, watchful eyes. A small sound escaped involuntarily from the dragon's lips. _Who would do something like this? _She thought in disgust and horror.

Zelgadis looked around at the scene before them as they continued walking. The people didn't cower at the sight of him; but they hid, and glanced wearily at the group. Not one sound escaped any of their lips, causing an eerie silence to creep over the bleak city, the only sounds being the patter of feet and of rubble scattering across the streets. He glanced over at Amelia, and the look on her face made him feel a pang of guilt; she was enduring all this, and all the while still holding a grudge against him. He was making her life worse… 

He felt Lina's eyes on him, and turned to look back at the red head. She gave him a fierce look with her ruby eyes, and nodded towards Amelia. _What does she expect me to do?_ He asked himself, turning away from the sorceress' glare. _I'd only hurt her more…_

"I'm not going to wait all day for you to say something to her, Zel," she whispered sharply at him. He held her strong gaze. "Enough is enough. Just look at her! Whatever happened between you two, you better fix it up now."

Seeing Zel not doing what she wanted, she cast a small fireball in her hand and glared up at him menacingly. "I said **now**."

Zelgadis sighed labouredly. He knew that Lina could do nothing to him with such a small fireball, and he knew that she wouldn't try anything else. But then, who would, at a time like this? He quickened his pace a bit more, a part of his mind wondering how Lina knew something was up.

_Nothing gets past her, except when it comes to her and Gourry,_ he thought as he found himself walking beside a very sullen looking Princess. She didn't glance up at him to acknowledge his presence; she just kept walking, her once deep blue eyes now staring blankly ahead. She looked tired and worn, and utterly lost. Zelgadis grimaced, and opened his mouth to say something, anything, but no words came. He couldn't even comfort her with simple words.

Words were something that came easily to Zelgadis. Saying these words, though, was a completely different story. Sometimes words came at a loss to him when he tried to voice them. This time was no different. He knew what it was he wanted to say, what he should say, but the words wouldn't allow themselves to be rolled off his tongue. _Or maybe I'm just making up an excuse, _he thought to himself. He sighed inwardly; he'd just have to stay close to Amelia. Maybe then she would remember that he was with her; all of her friends were.

Amelia's gaze was empty; she just turned a corner, fighting back tears, and continued to head towards the castle. Her home. _Maybe, if I curl up in bed and fall asleep, I'll wake up and find that this is all just a dream…no, a nightmare. I'll wake up, and everything will go back to the way it was._ This train of thought merely brought tears to her blue eyes, and she forced herself to stop.

"Amelia?" Zelgadis barely even whispered her name as she felt his shadow drop over her. He opened his mouth hesitantly, unsure of what to do, then closed it again. He was never the one for words. Amelia just stood still in the middle of the ruined street, rubble and debris lying around everywhere. She refused to open her eyes; she could feel her people watching her, and she could feel her friends' eyes on her too.

Suddenly, she felt two rough hands clasp over hers, and she was surprised at how gentle the rough hands were. A soft voice she knew well filled her head.

"Amelia…I'm sorry," Zelgadis began, sighing, his voice soft. "Look at me, Amelia."

When the Princess refused to open her eyes, he squeezed her hands gently. "Amelia, open your eyes." Still, the raven-haired Princess kept her eyes shut tight. "Look at me!"

Amelia almost jerked her hands out of his at the way he had sounded. His voice had been rough, cold, and hard, just like it had been when they had first met._ Hasn't he changed at all?!?_ A small voice in her head asked, followed by another small voice. _Of course he has, just look at him._ Slowly, she opened her eyes to see if it was him standing before her, if he had even changed. Sometimes she didn't know what to think of the chimera. She stared hard into his eyes, and he could see a different emotions flit across her face. He could see everything she felt. It was…disturbing.

Her deep blue eyes, once bright, optimistic, energetic and full of innocence, were now empty, hollow, and full of pain. _How could all this have happened in such a short period of time? _And yet, and small voice in the back of his head told him that he had not even seen her for three years.

Lina looked on with sad eyes, Gourry's hand still resting lightly on her shoulder for support, reassurance, and comfort. She forced herself to look away, and let her ruby eyes scan the ruins before her. Something wasn't right; where were those creatures? Why weren't they attacking? Why hadn't she seen a single dead body yet? She shuddered and moved backwards, knocking into Gourry. His hand on her shoulder gave her a small squeeze, his other hand still resting on the hilt of his sword.

Lina sighed inwardly; shouldn't have Phil returned by now? The news of the attack must've reached him by now, unless something had really happened to him. _Please no, _the sorceress thought, her gaze resting once again on her dark haired friend. _She's already been through too much…_

Out of the corner of her eye, the red head saw Filia stiffen, her tail poking out from underneath her pink dress. Lina glanced around again; now she **knew** that something wasn't right—Filia had just proven it. Filia's tail swished back and forth, her head darting from one side to the other.

Something isn't right here,Filia mouthed to Lina as she caught her eye. She began glancing around worriedly again. And then, she heard it. **Wings.**

She spun around to face Lina, who had turned around also. The sorceress' fingers crackled with magic as she cast a fireball, followed by a burst rondo and diem wing. _I have to cast quick spells, even if it only slows them. They're much too fast for anything else,_ she reminded herself. Black, shadowy creatures flew at them, their bony black wings burning with a black flame. Their dark red eyes glowed menacingly, and their claws were long and sharp. It was scaly, with the long, thrashing tail of a lizard. One of the creatures let out an ear-piercing shriek, narrowly dodging one of Lina's spells. Five of them flew straight towards the group, lusting blood and death, and it wasn't until Lina had finished her wave of spells that she began to notice the panicked screams coming from the people around her.

She felt herself being pushed and shoved as the people of Saillune ran in every direction, shrieking and wailing, running for their lives. It was utter chaos; Lina quickly cast diem wing, knocking the creatures back for a moment. She turned around to see if she could find her friends, but the throng of people was too much, and she had been pushed away.

"Lina!" Gourry cried, fighting against the tide of panicking people pushing past him. Twice he almost fell down, but he quickly righted himself. He had to find Lina. He looked up, hearing a blood-curdling shriek, to find one of the creatures coming down at him. The people around him cried in alarm and ran away, leaving Gourry with enough space to not worry about having his sword knocked out of his hand. In a split second, he had his naked sword in hand, and swung at the lunging creature. With a shriek, it flew back up and disappeared. _Lina,_ he thought, running through the crowds once more. _I have to find Lina and the others._

Looking up once more, he saw one of the creatures fly past him, and then, it wasn't there. He blinked, and there it was again, flying past him. A voice he recognized reached his ears, and he saw Lina, casting another diem wing. Forgetting what he had just seen, he fought his way towards her again. 

Lina tried to stay on her own two feet as people pushed her out of their way. If it had been any other day, she would've fireballed them all. Her gaze returned to the flock of people running this way and that. And suddenly, something caught her eye; a figure fought through the crowd to reach her as another figure appeared out of thin air right beside her; Gourry, his sword out and at the ready, and Filia, who had teleported to them.

"Amelia…Zel…where are they?" Lina yelled over the sounds of screams surrounding them. They were still being jostled around every which way. Lina looked up once more, readying herself to fight off the creatures again, but they were nowhere to be seen. Lina's body stiffened in alarm. _This isn't right! _Her mind cried, and she began to fight through the crowd ferociously. Filia and Gourry followed her, and they turned their heads at a voice.

"Amelia!!!" a familiar voice yelled. Lina, Gourry and Filia fought their way towards the owner of the voice, to come face-to-face with Zelgadis.

"Amelia," he said, breathlessly. It was obvious he had been running through the crowd searching for her. "I…can't…find her…anywhere!"

And it was then that he knew where she was. "The castle," he choked out, knowing it was true, even though it sounded impossible to his ears. "She's gone to the castle."

"No," Lina said, unbelieving. She knew it was true, but she didn't want to believe it. Amelia would never do anything so stupid and thickheaded…would she?

"That's insane!" Filia cried out, worry etched across her face. "Why would she even think about doing something like that? I thought she had more sense! I know its her home but…its suicide!"

"Revenge," Lina and Zelgadis both said quietly. Lina and Zelgadis both looked at each other before she continued. "We have to get to her first." And with that, she grabbed Gourry's hand, and raywinged herself towards the white palace.

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Her footsteps echoed loudly in the empty hall. The walls were chipped, the floor littered with pieces of rubble and debris. Even the inside of the castle had been damaged. She stopped and turned and saw only empty halls and some doors hanging off their hinges. She was scared, being in the castle by herself, while someone might be watching her, ready to strike. But rage and fury boiled in her blood; someone had half destroyed her home. She wasn't about to let them get away with it. And if Reirs was right, this thing had tried to kill her mother. Or had.

She hadn't noticed the tears welling up in her blue eyes until they began to slide down her olive cheek. She quickly wiped them away, and continued walking. Her feet slowly brought her to the throne room, the blue, dirty dress she wore making soft swishing noises as she moved.

Amelia found herself face to face with the large, double oak doors separating her from the throne room. Taking a deep breath, she pushed them both open, and found herself in the large, dark room. A shadow seemed to fall across the whole room; the light from outside couldn't seem to penetrate it. Above the throne, hung Saillune's flag, set high above the dais. And upon the dais, sitting comfortably on the throne, sat a figure, still and watching.

Then the figure spoke. "Welcome at last, Amelia dear."

And Amelia fell to the floor, crying.

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Lina set Gourry down carefully in the courtyard of Saillune's once magnificent palace, and stood before two open doors. She could see the hallway, and beyond that, and good distance away, was the Throne room's doors. It was so gloomy inside that she couldn't tell if the doors were open or not.

Zelgadis came to land beside the sorceress and the swordsman, and not a second later the golden dragon appeared beside them. But she was already glaring around, looking for something. Lina looked at her curiously, while Zelgadis walked quickly towards the door. He wanted to reach Amelia as soon as possible. And then a voice they all knew well greeted them.

"Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis, and my sweet Fi-chan. Whatever took you so long?" 

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*A/N: Hello all! I'm sorry to have disappeared for a long time again! But I assure you, I WILL finish this fic! Now, I'm know that this chapter is pretty depressing, but you should know me by now. I just can't stand sad endings!! This fic will have a light chapter…somewhere ^^ And this fic is getting closer and closer to the end! I think there will be around 25 chapters or so…at least less then 30. At least I think ^^ And this chapter turned out differently than I had originally intended *grins* Ah well, tell me what you think!

Now, I'd like to thank my reviewers! Thnx to **Lauren-sama** (I'm glad last chapter was amusing, and I'm really glad you liked the end segment ^^), **Digi-riven** (Don't apologize! I keep on taking too long nowadays to get a chapter up! *grins at the banner*), **Graelyn** (Oh, I know I'm giving Amelia a hard time, but you'll see, everything will work out. And I think Ame and Zel will kiss again…but you'll just have to wait and see ^_~), **MoroTheWolfGod** (Sorry I took so long, Moro!), **Faith** (I'm glad you liked the last chapter. I tried not to make it too light, and not too dark), and **Mu Mao** (I'm glad you liked that chapter! I've got a few surprises coming up ^^ And am I going to have to guess who your sister is? Lol)

And I've got even more new reviewers!! **Lahrri-chan** (Ummm…Oops? Sorry I took so long!!!), **Gee Metallium** (lol, I'm glad you didn't complain ^_~ Thnx so much for you review!!!), and **ice-cold** (Yeah, I do make being a princess pretty bad, don't I?) Thanks so much to all of you for taking the time to write a review ^^

Thank you all for reviewing, and thank you to the people who just read my fic ^^ I wouldn't be writing this if I didn't know I had people who want to read my work! THANKS SO MUCH!! Adieu!! –Vivi Laney


	22. Impossible Truth

      Chapter 22: The Impossible Truth 

The wind whipped past their faces in the silent courtyard. Lina subconsciously noted that she could no longer hear the people of Saillune running around in a panic. It appeared that they had all been avoiding the white palace at the heart of the city. The sudden silence was eerie, but it was short-lived.

"Namagomi!!" Filia shrieked, grabbing her mace, her face beet red with rage. "You traitorous decomposing pile of trash! I knew this was all your doing!!"  The ex-priestess charged forward purposefully and quickly, mace-sama raised, only to have the red haired sorceress stretch out her hand and hold her back.

"Not now, Filia," she muttered sharply to the golden dragon, her gaze holding Xellos'. Zelgadis clenched his fists at his sides in anger, while Gourry just looked on with wary curiosity.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Zelgadis asked, his voice dangerously soft.

Xellos stood, leaning against the open doorway, his staff in one gloved hand. There was no hint of a smile on his face, and no hint of amusement in his voice when he answered, "Sore wa himitsu desu." His gaze moved from Zelgadis to Filia and back again.

Zelgadis growled and was about to lunge at the trickster priest, but Lina was quicker. In one quick motion, she held the purple haired mazoku in a chokehold.

"Stop with the games and just answer us, dammit!" Lina said sharply, her voice no louder than Zelgadis' had been, and her hold on him becoming tighter. Xellos struggled a bit, but the sorceress knew perfectly well that he found pleasure in pain. 

"Forget this," Zelgadis muttered, and began to walk towards the doorway again. But in the blink of an eye, Xellos stood in the centre of the doorway again, his menacing purple eyes open and his staff stretched out in front of him. Lina's arms closed in on thin air, and she looked up, a bit surprised. Zelgadis growled and rushed forward, drawing out his sword, but he was soon stopped short. The tip of Xellos' staff pushed against the centre of the chimera's throat. Had it been any other person holding the staff against his neck, Zelgadis would've laughed; but Xellos was a mazoku, and as much as Zel hated to admit it, had much more power than even Lina.

Xellos' mazoku eyes glittered dangerously as he pressed the tip of his staff harder against the nook in Zelgadis' neck. "First, we have to make some sort of an agreement. See, the mazoku race has never really been fond of Saillune's royal family; Amelia's late mother, for example.She was quite a nuisance to us. Although Saillune doesn't pose any threat to us, and none of us would really go through all the work to destroy Saillune, seeing the great white holy city fall and stay fallen would make life as a mazoku more…pleasant."

"And you want to be able to make sure that you'll be able to gain something from letting us in there and saving Saillune and Amelia," Lina said, the picture of perfect control. "Okay, so what do you want to use us for this time?"

Xellos smirked at the red head. "Help me kill the person sitting on that throne right now."

Lina raised her eyebrow. "Common Xellos, that was already our intention; kill the person trying to kill Amelia. But you already know that, now don't you?"

Xellos' purple eyes glinted as his smirk turned into a grin. "Well, actually, there are two things sitting on that throne at the moment. You want to kill the one who wants to kill Amelia, whereas the mazoku race wants the one giving that person its power dead. If you kill the one you want dead first, then I won't be able to kill the one giving that person its power."

Gourry scratched his head. "I don't get it…"

Everyone ignored Gourry as Filia added, "Why wouldn't you be able to kill that thing you want dead?"

"Because it'll disappear, and 'this thing', which happens to be a very powerful half demon and half mazoku, is hard to find. If I don't kill it now, I might never be able to have the chance ever again. It's wasting a lot of its power helping Amelia's…non-benefactor, so it might not even notice me until its too late. You're to be my distraction."

"And how are we going to know when it is you've killed the thing you want to kill?" Lina asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"And how do I know that you aren't going to let Amelia die first?" Zelgadis growled.

"You don't."

Filia glared at the mazoku. "So you were a part of this all along, weren't you? We just played into your greedy hands again." _I can't believe I listened to him,_ Filia thought angrily, her fists clenching tightly. _I knew he was up to something!_

Xellos' intense gaze turned towards the ryuzoku and stayed there for a long moment, before he turned around and walked through the doorway. Filia took two steps forward, rage in her eyes. "Answer me Xellos! For L-sama's sake, answer me!!"

Xellos stopped in his tracks, the only sound coming from the harsh winds before turned his head slightly. "Sore wa himitsu desu," he called over his shoulder, before vanishing. "Check the throne room," came his voice from all around them. "I'll be waiting for you there."

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 Amelia couldn't believe her ears; that voice, so familiar and yet unfamiliar. _Why did I come alone? _She silently asked herself as she sat upon the hard marble floor, crying. _I can't do anything by myself…I just can't._

The person sitting upon the throne stood up, still a black figure shrouded in darkness. The slanting rays of light coming from the large, arched windows were quickly lost in the darkness filling the room. The sounds of the dark figure's footsteps were loud in the large, cold, empty room, and grew louder as the figure got closer to Amelia.  

Amelia sniffed, looking up, and pressed the heel of her palms against her eyes, roughly wiping away her tears. Her azure eyes held rage, confusion, and hatred. 

"You," she whispered angrily, her eyes still silently leaking tears. She took a shaky breath and slowly stood up, her legs feeling weak and ready to collapse again. "Why? I…I don't understand…It can't be…"

The figure slowly walked up to Amelia, who turned away. A cold, dark hand turned Amelia's face back again, forcing the Princess to see her ill bearer. Cold hazel green eyes bore into Amelia's azure ones, as if trying to find something.

And for a moment, a black fire seemed to engulf both of them, and Amelia could only stand there, petrified. She could feel the hot black flames licking her body, scorching her, burning her.

…Killing her.

 And the figure laughed, throwing Amelia back onto the floor. It was a high, cruel, menacing laugh that filled the dark throne room. The raven-haired Princess' heart thundered in her chest as she stared at herself; where was the burnt flesh, the white-hot piercing pain, the black fire? Her hands shook, and the figure looming above her continued to laugh. Tears streamed down her olive face, and she slowly looked up to see the dark figure smiling wickedly at her. Long wavy brown hair framed the figure's once beautiful face, which was now twisted and ugly.

"No…it can't be," Amelia whispered softly, her eyes returning to the floor. "No…I-It doesn't make any sense…You could've killed me earlier…in y-your house…"

Reirs smiled wickedly, her cold eyes wide. "But Amelia dear, this is so much more fun…" She laughed again, cold and mocking. Amelia shuddered. "It was so much fun, playing with your mind…it also caused you more pain and suffering, did it not?" Again she laughed, and Amelia let out a small noise.

Still on the floor, Amelia began moving backwards, slowly trying to inch away. _This can't be happening…I didn't ask for this. I didn't ask for any of this…make it stop!!! I-I can't face this by myself…no…_

"Stop it!" Amelia cried out as the figure laughed again. 

"Oh, this is too good!" Reirs cried out in between gasps of cruel laughter. "Stop it? But I'm enjoying myself!"

"No! Just…please…stop," Amelia whispered as her body began to shake from her sobs. "W-why are you d-doing this Reirs? I-I…I don't understand…I t-thought you were…my Mother's f-friend…"

Reirs looked down at the Princess, sprawled and helpless on the floor, a smirk playing on her lips. "Amelia, dear, I was your Mother's friend. I was her closest friend since childhood," A shadow passed over her cold hazel-green eyes as she spoke. "And I hated her. I hated your Mother. That day she died, I told her to meet me,"-She smiled with a faraway look-"I had it all planned out, you see. I knew I was going to kill her, and I knew how." Reirs eyes were wide, and Amelia backed away even further. Reirs looked insane. 

"Y-you…you killed my Mother?" Amelia choked out, hardly believing a word.

Reirs turned back to face Amelia, anger and hatred burning in her hazel-green eyes. "No," she spat out, glaring at the Princess. "Someone, or something, got to your Mother first. It's not right…**I **was supposed to be the one to kill your Mother! Me! And I was so close…"

Amelia shook her head, still disbelieving. _No…L-sama, make this stop…I can't take it anymore…_ "No," she whispered, shaking her head. "No…"

"Yes!" Reirs cried out angrily, stepping closer to Amelia. "But now, Amelia…I can torture and kill you…yes…If I couldn't kill your Mother, than I'll kill her last surviving daughter!" Reirs smiled again, and moved once again towards the Saillune Princess, her hand outstretched. 

"No! Get away from me!!" Amelia cried out as she tried to stand and run. Her heart hammered in her chest, and anger mixed with fear in her veins. Her legs felt weak; she was powerless. She stumbled and fell, her breathing already hard and fast. She tried to open her mouth, to chant out some sort of spell, but no sound came out. She turned around; Reirs was so close…

"Nooo!" Amelia shrieked, trying frantically to get away. She felt herself being surrounded by darkness, her body engulfed and slowly being crushed by the cold tendrils of the darkness that encased her, trapped her…

…And then she screamed.

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"Amelia!!!" Zelgadis cried, bursting through the Throne Room's doors with Lina, Gourry and Filia all behind him. There was Amelia, with Reirs advancing upon her, and darkness surrounding the both of them.

"Nooo!" Amelia shrieked, and they could see her scramble frantically to try to get away, to fight or run…to do something, but she was paralysed.

"Amelia," Lina breathed, anger surging through the sorceress. "Flare Arrow!" The red head cried, but the darkness just swallowed it. Gourry charged forward, trying to slice his way through the pitch-blackness, as Zelgadis frantically cast every single spell he could think of. Filia chanted in the Ancient tongue, casting her spell, but before she could finish, a cold voice filled the dark room.

"And so her friends have finally arrived. This will make this all the more fun!" 

And they were quickly surrounded by darkness, with Reirs' cruel laughter filling their heads.

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"Lina!!!" He cried out, chasing her frantically, her golden body slowly drifting father and farther away. "Lina-aaaa!" He wouldn't let her go; he couldn't. The agony and pain he felt at the thought that he might lose her, that he might never see her again… She was rising straight up into the sky, moving towards a huge black ball that hung in the air. Terror and agony filled his being as he tried to follow her; he couldn't let her go! He had to save her! Everything was being pulled into the black ball of energy, and he jumped from the huge black rocks from the ground that rushed to merge with chaos. He had to reach her, but she was so far… And then she disappeared. She flew into the black ball hanging in the sky, her glowing form no longer there. There was no trace of her; almost as if she had never existed. But he knew she had. And he wasn't going to lose her.  The blond swordsman followed her into the black ball of oblivion, shouting her name, telling her why it was he needed her…and he did…

_I need you!_ He thought desperately, his hands reaching for her. And as he finally caught up to her, his hands encircling her arms, she began to fade…and she was gone; she disappeared. "Noo!" he cried out, his hands closing in on thin air. "No…"

And suddenly he remembered. He remembered this happening before, but no, she had come back. She had come back to him. Gourry looked around, noting that it didn't feel the same. _This is different, _he thought, confused. _This isn't what happened…this can't be right…Lina comes back to me…I know she does…she can't be gone yet…_

He heard her voice then, filled with agony and pain. And for a moment, everything flickered, and he saw a white-stone room, with bookshelves lining the walls and rugs gracing the floors. And he saw her, alone and in pain. _Lina…_

But then he was back. The room was gone, and he felt himself floating once again. And then he remembered something else; earlier that day, while fighting those black-winged creatures in Saillune, it had disappeared for a moment. _It wasn't there…_he thought to himself, before slowly closing his eyes and taking a step, feeling his feet land on a stone floor and hear a troubled voice beside him. "Lina…" he whispered, and opened his eyes. 

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 *A/N: I'm sorry I took so long again, but sharing a computer with 2 brothers and a father who like to hog it is hard. But don't worry, come Christmas time, I'll have another computer (only newer ^^)

Anyways, are you confused? Well, all right, I'll explain this last part a bit. It's actually supposed to be longer, but it's late right now and I'm really tired. It'll be part of the next chapter instead now. Anyways, maybe some of you have been able to guess by now what exactly is going on…and if none of you do, just humour me and take a guess at what you think is going on. I know its not exactly like what happened it Next, but maybe you see the reason why its not. If this chapter seems a bit rushed, well it was a bit at the last few paragraphs, but I really think its been too long already since my last chapter. I'm a bit unsure about this chapter, and I'm even thinking about rewriting the ending of this chapter, so tell me whatever you think. Constructive criticism is welcome ^^ If you don't like it, tell me, although if you gave me a why I'd be very grateful. If you do like it, then yippee for me! ^_~ 

And now, time for my thankies!!

Thanks to **Winged Dancer** (There was a bit of a clue as to who the person on the throne was, but I don't think anyone got it *grins* Which I'm happy about ^^), **Digi-riven** (Yay! I get to keep your banner!! *waves it in the air* ), **Minimerc** (Heheh, sorry about the cliffie, but I couldn't resist! I'm afraid that I don't think any other Slayers characters are going to pop up. Everyone I need and want is already counted for and present. And as for Phil…You'll find out what happened to him later ^^), **Faith** (I was pretty happy with the last chapter ^^ I'm glad you liked it so much!! Hopefully this chapter didn't disappoint you too much…), and **Gee, Daruko y Darukoshi** (I see you've changed your name, Gee ^^ Oh, and I was thinking that any normal person WOULD probably go nuts if put in Amelia's position, so I sort of incorporated that thought into my ending *grins* Just wait and see…but I'm not saying Amelia goes nuts exactly…heheh, just wait ^^)

I have two new reviewers!! YAY! There's my **no-name/anonymous reviewer** (I had a hard time trying to figure out exactly what to call you since you didn't give yourself a name whatsoever *grins* And thanks for telling me its defenseless and not defenceless ^^), and **Suki** (No need to be sorry! You read my fic, for which I can't thank you enough, AND you even took some time out to review! I'm sorry for making you wait, but I'm glad you liked it so far ^^)

So, once again, thanks everyone for taking some time out to review. What would I do without you? *winks* Till I write again (which I hope is sooner and not later) –Vivi Laney 


	23. Unwanted Memories and Frightful Dreams

A/N: *gets on her hands and knees* Please FORGIVE ME!!!! School has been such a drag, and I've been so busy with it…but since it's the holidays, I have time to write another chapter! Yay! Finally, right? I wouldn't be surprised if you don't even remember what happened in this story, and for that I'm sorry. I know I hate waiting for new chapters to come out when I'm really interested in a fic, and I've done it to you. It's been, what, months since the last chapter? *slaps forehead* If this keeps up, I'll be thirty by the time I finish this fic…and I even have a sequel, of sorts, in my head. *sighs* Also, you might be a bit confused with most of this chapter, but it will be explained. Well, I won't keep you waiting any longer, so here it is!

Chapter 23: Unwanted Memories and Frightful Dreams 

His breathing sounded loud in his ears as he fought through the black mist. It was a veil of death constricting him, keeping him lost and alone. He hated it; only hearing the sounds he made, and nothing else. Not even the soft cheep of a bird, or the rolling howl of the wind. Confused, he turned around and around, trying to see something…anything! He couldn't remember…he couldn't see…and then he heard a scream. _Amelia…_

And he was thrown even further into the black mist. It surrounded him, obscured his vision, obscured his thoughts and his mind. It seeped into his rocky pores, filling him…it all happened so fast…

He ran through a corridor, feeling lost and alone. _No…not again… _And he remembered…unwelcome memories flooded his mind.

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He ran, the sounds of harsh laughter filling his ears. 'I'm not going to cry' he yelled in his mind through the tears that were already falling. He was going to be strong, stronger than everyone else…angrily, he rubbed his eyes. 'Strong men don't cry, and strong men don't get hurt…they don't feel pain. They don't feel despair, or loneliness…only strength. He would be liked, and admired, and loved…he wouldn't be teased, mocked, poor and alone. He'd show them all…

_"Hey! Dirtbag! Bastard!" A stone hit his back, and his bit his lip so hard it started to bleed. He refused to cry…he would show them just how strong he really is, but as he felt more stones hit his body, a tear escaped, rolling down his cheek. More tears fell as he realized that he could hardly even feel it. _

_"Get out of here! You monster!" A shrill girl's voice cried out._

_Another stone hit his back, like a tap from a friendly neighbour. "Why don't you glue some more stones to your face, freak!"_

_'I didn't ask to be this way!' he cried out in anguish. 'I wanted to become stronger so that I would be respected…not thrown out and treated like an animal!!'_

_----------------------------------------------------------_

And then Zelgadis screamed, feeling the pain of his body twisting and changing into the thing he now loathes…his chimera's body…

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"No! Please!!"

A purple short-haired woman walked up to the small, petite red-head, holding in front of her slugs. The red-head screamed at the top of her lungs, before a black mist rose and entered her mouth; choking her, gagging her…killing her…

And before her was Gourry, his new sword drawn and pointing towards her. "Gourry…" she whispered, confused, shocked and saddened. She opened her mouth…tried to speak to him, to tell him, before she heard a voice. "He's dead now…a dead puppet…"

"No…" Lina whispered unbelievingly. "NO!" And coming out of the side of his neck was a thin wire; the only thing she was able to notice before he swung at her, causing the sorceress to fumble backwards in shock.

"Gourry…please…" she whispered, but to no avail. He approached her, his sword held high, its wicked gleam causing the sorceress to begin casting a spell. _No…what am I doing? I…I can't hurt him…I don't want to fight him again…_And she remembered, when he had been under Hellmaster's control, she had fought him. And she didn't even know that it was him…

He swung again, but she fell backwards; his sword flew down past her, hitting a wooden floor. His eyes were no longer warm and lively, but dead, cold and hard. Unseeing. Unknowing.

He wrenched the sword out of the floor, and advanced upon her again. This time she drew out her own sword and blocked him; but he was much too strong, and the fiery-haired sorceress flew backwards. Her arms, still clutching her sword tightly, shook from the strong impact. She threw the sword at him, but he easily dodged; just as she expected him to. _I can't win against him using my sword…he'd easily win. And…no, no…I can't use my spells…he can't really be dead…he can't…_

"Gourry…please…" And suddenly, a black mist blocked her vision once again, before she felt strong hands gripping her shoulders. "NO!" she screamed, kicking and squirming. "Let me go!!! Stop it!!"

"Lina! Lina, snap out of it!!" The hands began to shake her slightly, and she realized that her eyes were snapped shut. She slowly began to open her eyes, but all she could see was a blur of colours. "Gourry?" came her hushed, disbelieving whisper. Her head swan, and, feeling slightly dizzy, she grasped his arms, which still held he shoulders. Her ruby-red eyes were slowly able to focus. It was Gourry who held her, and before she could look into his eyes she began to squirm again. "No!" she cried, pushing her hands against his arms.

"Lina? Lina…hey, calm down! Lina, its me." The swordsman's voice was soft, and he sounded so worried…

And in her mind, she saw again those cold, hard, dead, glassy eyes; she didn't want to see it ever again, so she squeezed her eyes shut even more. 

"Lina…" he whispered softly…so tenderly, her heart stopped for a moment. She opened her eyes slowly, to see his deep blue ones staring back at her. Deep, soft, gentle eyes. Alive. And through his eyes he could see her, radiant and alive also. He wanted to touch her; make sure she was all right, and that she was really standing there before him. Their eyes locked, his hand slowly moved from her shoulder over to her face. He held his hand just an inch from her face, before he came to trail his fingers up her neck to caress her soft cheek. His other hand moved to encircle her waist, drawing her body closer to his. She felt so warm, standing so close to him, but it was somehow familiar. Once more she felt safe…her protector was with her once again. She thought of how panicked she had been, when she had thought that he was dead…

_Wait…_she thought, her eyes becoming troubled. Gourry noticed, and quickly pulled away from her. At once he missed the warmth they had shared, and wanted to touch her again. He restrained himself though, as he watched her rack through her mind and jumble all of her thoughts.

_Where am I? _She looked around, and noticed the familiar white stonewalls, and two French-doors leading to a garden. But everything seemed darker then she remembered it to be. And suddenly she remembered why she was here. "Amelia…" she whispered, so softly that Gourry almost didn't hear it.

"Gourry," she began, turning back around to look at him again. But his blue eyes were darkened with intensity and emotion, and she looked away for a moment, blushing, before continuing. "Where's Amelia…And Zel, and Filia? Why are we here? What…what happened?"

"It wasn't real," the blond swordsman stated, and Lina looked up at him, confused. 

"What wasn't real?" she asked, unsure if he would even say something smart.

"The dream…the memories...that's all they were. It was fake."

How did he know? She had believed what was happening was real, or at least at the time it was real. It was so vivid…she could still remember hearing the sound of her heart pound inside her chest as he, the fake Gourry, had swung his sword at her. She could remember the panic she felt, and the air of the sword swish past only an inch from her face.

_Of course…it was all an illusion…Oh no…_ "Gourry, we have to find the others! Now!" 

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"Val! Where are you? VAL!!!"

Filia ran through each room of her house, searching vainly for 'her son'. Her baby. Panic and fear rose in her as she was filled with the memory of seeing the graves of the ancient dragon race. Horror filled her every being as she remembered that it was her race that had slaughtered them all. She continued to call out his name, running out of the house and into the streets of Sairaag. 

What if he's alone? What if he's hurt, or worse? What if somebody took him? Worse, w-what if that namago… 

Hands grabbed her waist, and the ex-priestess shrieked, grabbing her mace from under her skirt. As she swung it back, a white-gloved hand grabbed the mace from her. Still screaming, she began to kick and squirm.

The hands roughly turned her around just as she began to cry out "Val! My baby! Let me go, or I swear…"

"Val isn't here. You're not even really here."

Filia, still hitting, biting, and kicking, was shocked to hear that voice. Looking up, she saw two purple mazoku eyes staring back at her. For a moment their eyes locked, the golden dragon's breath caught I her throat. But only for a moment.

"You God-damn filthy, rotten, sad excuse for a mazoku. You stupid namagomi, where the hell is VAL!?!" she shrieked, trying to pull away from his grip. But Xellos' hands only gripped her tighter, and her face twisted with pain.

"Let me go," she cried out, hysterical and panicking. "LET ME GO, or I swear in L-sama's name…my son, my baby…he's out there…WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM!?!?!?! DAMMIT, Xellos, if you even TOUCHED him…oh L-sama, where is he?"

Filia was looking everywhere, and was still trying to get out of the mazoku's hold. "Go ahead, kill me, BUT LET ME FIND VAL-KUN FIRST! LET ME FIND HIM! LET ME GO! I NEED-"

Suddenly, Filia gasped, and felt her face flush. Warm lips roughly met her own, covering them as strong, warm arms, held her close. But before she could even register the fact that she was kissing Xellos, he broke away and grabbed her wrist harshly again.

"What about my Val-kun?!" The golden haired ex-priestess asked in a hushed voice, the panic beginning to rise again.

"I already told you, he's not here. We're not even here"

"What are you talking about? And let go…"

The mazoku jerked her towards him, his purple eyes, glinting maliciously. "This is an illusion…its not real…"

"An…illusion??" And slowly, as she began to understand, the mist cleared away, and she found herself standing in an empty white room. "Wha…?"

Xellos roughly let go of the ryozoku, and turned back towards her with his closed eyes and annoying smile. "Here," he said, passing her back her mace. "You really are a very ugly, stupid dragon after all…"

"NAMAGOMI!!"

But he disappeared as she swung at him, and could only hear his voice. "You're upstairs…somehow, you stupidly walked up here while immersed in your little 'dream'. You don't have much time…go downstairs. I'll still meet you and everyone else in the throne room."

_Ohhh, that filthy, dirty, disgusting, selfish namagomi!_ She screamed in her head, but immediately headed for the throne room.

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*A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who has put up with me. Thanks so much for reading my fic. Thanks so much for being the best. I'm sorry if there are a bunch of mistakes, but I didn't have time to read over it, and even this holiday I still have work to do. Hopefully this chapter wasn't too disappointing, but this is the last of the 'lighter chapters'. Anyways, tell me what you think.

Thanks to **Minimerc** (sorry…I keep giving you cliff hangers…and I'm so sorry I took so long. Guess this means you're gonna give me a justice speech, huh?), **Suki** (Ah, don't mention it. I feel so honoured that you took the time to write a review ^^ Hmm, I actually had a few different scenarios running through my head on who would kill Reirs, but you're right. Maybe Ame-chan will be the one…we'll see), **Winged Dancer** (The answer to your question, on why Reirs hated Ame's mother, is actually the idea for my sequel…or maybe I should call it a prequel. I don't want to go in detail in this fic about Ame's mother and Reirs relationship, but if you think the sequel/prequel idea is bad, then maybe I will…but its not what I had planned for this fic), **Digi-riven** (I'm so sorry about the bad cliffie *bows* Guess I didn't update sooner rather than later, too…*bows again* Bad me!), **Gee** (Thanks so much. Sorry I took so long for this chap to come out, though…I hope you'll still read it and put up with me ^^) and finally, my newest reviewer, **Hyacynth** (Yes, I know its slightly OOC…but sue me. She gets older, people change, and I'm pretty sure I even said that it would be slightly OOC. But thanks for the criticism.)

That's it for now. Oh, and I have a new computer, so I should be able to find a bit more time to write ^^ Anyways, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Please review! Hopefully this chapter wasn't crap!! Love ya! –Vivi


	24. Trapped

Chapter 24: Trapped 

Lina and Gourry ran past the now black walls of the once white palace, trying to remember the layout of the castle. It had been ages since they had last been here, with no idea where they had ended up. They turned a corner and flew down a set of stairs, only to find themselves in another empty, unfamiliar corridor. The silence was eerie; their breathing sounded loud and ominous to their ears. Glancing around himself, and itching to find someplace familiar, Gourry began to turn towards the left, but Lina grabbed his arm, saying, "No…this way."

Windows and doors flew past them as they ran, as blurs of black and grey, as their hearts beat loudly in their chests. Turning around another corner, they continued to run, when suddenly, Lina stopped. Gourry, not noticing that the red head had stopped, continued running until he realized that he could only hear his feet pounding against the floor. He stopped abruptly, turning to look at Lina.

"Lina…wha-" he began to ask her, clearly confused.

Lina stood before a window, staring outside. She could see the streets of the broken city just slightly below her, and realized that they were on the second floor of the castle. And, overlooking the city, she knew where in the castle they were. She'd been in Saillune so many times, even before meeting Amelia, that she realized that she was looking at the Eastern side of Saillune.

"Come on Gourry," she said, obscurely glad as she ran up to him. "I know where she is."

"Wha," Gourry began, a little out of breath from running, "are we… going to… do… when we find her?"

"Help her, of course! That… should have been… obvious… even to YOU!" Lina replied, annoyed by the question.

They turned another corner, and ran towards the end, where a dark arch stood.

"No…I mean…HOW…are we going to…help…her?"

They stopped at the arch, and could see another flight of stairs.

"I…" she began, unsure of herself. But she shook her head, saying, "Well, we'll figure that out once we get there, now won't we?"

The stairs circled up and down, and was set in one of the castle's towers.

"Down we go," Lina said somberly. But as soon as they stepped through the dark archway, a loud noise reached their ears. Their hearts began to pound loudly in their chests. They could hear someone else running down the set of stairs above them. Looking up, Lina and Gourry both took out their swords, ready for the worst, their faces hard. Lina's heart beat fast, the adrenaline pumping through her as it always did. It coursed through her, like fire blazing through her veins.

The footsteps were getting closer.

And then it was there, flying down the stairs at them. Lina gasped.

A vision of white, pink and gold was running down the stairs, and stopped, gasping, in front of them. Filia was out of breath; she had been running the length of the castle, also. Relief flooded their faces, as they smiled sadly at one another.

"W-we…still have to find…Z-Zelgadis…and Amelia," she rasped, and grabbing the two of them, continued down the stairs, searching, the loud echoes of their footfalls surrounding them.

--------------------------

Zelgadis was horrified. He felt his heart stop, his eyes turning away from the gruesome sight before him. Lina, Amelia, Gourry and Filia lay dead before him; his own sword dripping a dark crimson. A maniacal laugh resounded in his ears, its pitch so high and ear-splitting that he longed to scream out in pain. But his body only laughed, and he knew he was trapped within his own body. One of his worst nightmares had come true – something had taken over, the monster in him. Quickly, as if only slightly interested, his body stabbed at the dead, mutilated bodies once again. Inside, he tried to stop, tried to take control of his body, but found that he couldn't. He was helpless; and worse, found that he was reluctantly enjoying it.

_What is wrong with me?!_ He asked himself, horrified. He could feel power and delight course through him, mingled with disgust, and horror.

He sat up quickly, cold sweat pouring down his face. _Just a dream_… he thought, taking his sword and leaving the room. He was in a black maze – hundreds of doors lined the dimly lit and tight, long corridor. His breathing quickened. Where was he? He had to find his cure. He didn't want what had happened in the dream to become real. He ran through the hall, opening doors, only to find himself reliving horrible memories from his childhood. There he was, small and alone. His mother dead from giving birth to him. He watched as if he were there, in the room, looking down at himself in his dead mother's arms. The cries rang through his ears.

And then, there he was; hoping to be stronger because the other kids mocked him. Didn't like him.

_"What's the matter, lil' baby? Ya gonna cry?"_

_"Hahaha, maybe he's gonna run off to his Mama!" another one cried out. More kids came to see what was happening._

_He glared at them; his eyes shining with unshed tears._

_"Hey," an older kid pointed out as he walked by, "Doesn't that guy not have a Mama? That ain't nice, ya know," He added before joining the other older kids._

_"No Mama? So ya gonna run off to your Daddy, instead?"_

_Zelgadis didn't say anything – He just stood there, looking daggers into them._

_"We asked ya a question!" Someone else cried, which added to the jeers of others._

_"What are ya, a mute? Haha, look at 'em, he can't even speak!"_

_The kids laughed and shrieked at him, slowly circling him until he was surrounded. 'Stop it' he thought to himself, willing the other kids away. Why did they keep picking on him? One of the girls, breaking the circle dancing around him, went up and pinched him on the arm._

_"OWW!" cried Zelgadis, swatting at her. The girl joined in the laughter as she jumped back._

_"Aww, what's tha matter, huh? I thought mutes didn't feel no pain!" He barked with laughter, launching forward to pinch him too. _

_"Leave me alone! I'm NOT a MUTE!" Zelgadis cried, hitting some of the kids' arms away._

_"Hey, mute's can't talk!" One of them cried out, stepping away from the circle to stare. And soon all of them just stopped and stared. But later, they'd always find an excuse on why they picked on him. Always._

They said he was too quiet. A know-it-all. He trained. He hoped. He prayed. He even saw himself almost impaling himself with his sword the first time he swung it. And then he was turning into a chimera. And then again, stones were being thrown at him. And now he was hiding with Rezo. His only living relative, and a man he loathed. Abhorred.

All he felt was hatred.

A deep, dark hatred.

He burned with a desire to kill. To hurt. To cause everyone who had hurt him as much pain as he had felt throughout the years. He could hear a voice whisper to him, _Yes! Yes!! You have a right to want to cause pain. You have the right to hurt. And you have the power to make it all better…_

He drifted through the memory of trying to kill himself, so many times, but Rezo would always save him.

"What of revenge?" He would ask, his mouth curled into a snarl. "You don't want to give them the satisfaction of your being gone. You'll show them that you're still stronger, and that they'll never be rid of you."

Yes! 

And then there he was, laughing hysterically as he slaughtered them all. That's what he wanted. To slowly torture them, to throw stones, to attack and hurt and find a cure. He'd show them what they already saw – him as a monster. And when he'd be done, he'd find a cure and be rid of his cursed body…

…Zelgadis started. His eyes were clouded – he couldn't see. A sound filled his head, causing him to cringe. A scream? Maybe someone needed his help…. someone he knew…

But he heard the children's mocking laughter again, and his body seethed; that fear and anger filled his every pore. The images of the ones he hated, and feared, clouded his mind. And his vision turned completely black, just as he saw himself killing one of those stupid kids from his childhood. He could feel the seduction of the power he could hold over those kid's – of the power he did hold. Anger, hatred and fear sang through his blood. He laughed at the pleading and fear in the boy's eyes; revelled at the cracking voice as he cried, begging for "Mercy". He wanted to dig out this boy's heart and cut him up. Zelgadis wanted to shove the heart down the boys' throat. He wanted to cause pain, draw blood, and become the best. And nothing, **nothing,** would stop him.

------------------------------------------

"Should we check each room?" Filia gasped as they ran, eyeing the closed rooms nervously.

"No." Lina's reply was curt, and as the strangled silence continued, she added, "They wouldn't be in a room by themselves. Not anymore." _Amelia least of all…_

Their pace was slowing. Lina stopped every now and then, to look out of the window to make sure she knew if they were still heading the right way. "We need to find another flight of steps somewhere on this side of th…"

She stopped. The three of them tensed, hearing a twisted laughter. Coming from a door not so far away. Something about it had sent an eerie shiver down Lina's spine. They stood still, their eyes drawn to the door, waiting. No one moved, and so Lina began to walk warily towards the door. She felt a tap at her shoulder – Gourry nodded to her, his sword at the ready.  She looked Filia, who also nodded her head as she swung her mace, before Lina stepped forward. Her heart was in her throat, the adrenaline rushing through her again. She swallowed, calming her breathing. Whispering softly, she felt the power surge through her.

"_Source of all power."_

 Magic swirled around her, growing, and forming in between her hands.

"_Light which burns beyond crimson."_

She smirked at the familiar thrill that passed through her whenever she used magic.

"_Let thy power gather in my hand_." Fire before her hands grew. His hands gripped the sword tightly; hers shifted the weight of the mace just slightly, and…

_"FIREBALL!"_

The door blasted open in front of them. Magic crackled in her fingertips as she stepped through the haze of smoke, taking up the spot of where the door had been. She looked around, but there was nothing. Her heart was still pounding loudly.

Thump thump. What had she heard? Had she only been imagining it?

Thump thump. _I could've sworn I heard something…_

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a glint of steel, then-

"Lina!" A crash of steel on steel resounded in her ears as Lina jumped away, the tip of her cloak sliced. Gourry pushed the man back, his sword held at the ready. His muscles bunched, prepared for anything. His opponent lunged, feinted, parried, sliced, and growled; he was a good swordsman, but not as great as the blond. Gourry eyed his opponent evenly, but the ones that stared back were wild and crazy. Lina and Filia could only look on in stunned silence.

Their deadly dance with steel brought them up close as their swords grinded together, before they lunged away and once again began the drill of steel meeting steel again. Gourry sliced up as his opponent sliced down, the clash ringing through the air.

"Gourry…stop!" Filia exclaimed, horrified. Lina could only stand and gape, unsure of what was happening. For Gourry's opponent was the person they had been looking for; it was Zelgadis.

And yet, it wasn't.

"Stop it Zel!!" Lina cried. "What the hell are you doing?! Snap out of it!!"

But he didn't stop. He didn't even register her voice. All that he could hear in his head were the mocking cries of the children who always made fun of him. **_Kill…_**

"STOP IT!!!" Lina cried, pulling Gourry away. "FOR L-SAMA'S SAKE!! IT'S US! ARE YOU BLIND?!?!"

But Zelgadis just lunged once more, craving to hear screams, to draw blood, and get revenge…and the darkness surrounding him enveloped him in a black mist.

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"AHHH!"

Amelia slammed into the wall, falling to the floor limply. Pain shot up her back, clouding her mind. The laugh resounded in her ears, and anger surged through her – for a moment. But then it died down, replaced by fear and despair. She felt so helpless…so utterly alone…

_Please! Someone… help me!! Please…_

"'Tis such a shame that your friends' mind's are all so filled with fears. And so much hate. They fell into my illusions so easily, don't you agree?" She laughed cruelly, before continuing in a grotesquely sweet voice, "Now, if only you'd expose your mind to me a bit more, dear…it'd be such a better way for you to die. Well, perhaps not for you…but it would certainly be more fun, and interesting, for me."

The darkness once again tried to seep into her, to cloud and block her. She was falling again, and she couldn't seem to right herself. The cold tendrils were back, once again trying to crush her… _Fight it again, Amelia…just once more; at least, clear your mind just once more. Block her off!_

_But…I can't…_

_I should try to…I did it before…_

_It's so… hard…_

_Fight! Justice always wins! I can make it again…_

_…can't I?_

_…I…I know…_

_I know I…_

_…I…I can't!_

If only I could breathe… 

The miasma-like darkness choked her, its deadly caress crushing her once more. She had been able to break free of it once, but she couldn't anymore…

_Reirs…how could you?_

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A/N: Wow, is it just me, or has it been almost a year since the last chapter? Where does the time go? I can't believe I've been away from this story for so long! I'm really very sorry!! To all those who reviewed and asked for me to finish, well, I know I promised I would, and so I hope you did enjoy this chapter. I've been thinking that I might edit this story after I finish it (which, I hope, will be soon). I don't think it'll take me another year for the next chapter, so fear not. And I know that this chapter isn't as great as it should be. But it's getting there. Anyways, since I wanted to get this chapter out as soon as possible, I'm not going to be thanking individual people…yet. Maybe next chapter you'll all see your names. After all, you do deserve to be acknowledged, for taking your time to do the same for me. Thanks, and I hope I won't disappoint you.

-Vivi


	25. The Duel

Chapter 25: The Duel 

"NO!"

Zel's sword swung down, Lina's head just inches away, when—

"Fireba—" But Lina wasn't able to finish. A blue barrier had surrounded her, glowing incandescently, and, looking behind her, she saw Filia, holding the shield up. Zelgadis' sword slammed down hard against the barrier, but Filia pushed the steel away with her mind. Zel stumbled back, the force of the barrier knocking him away. He growled, charging once again, slashing against the barrier. Slashing and growling. Slashing and growling.

The wild look in his eyes scared them all. It was a wild and crazed look, eyes that were filled with pain, and an intenseness that none of them could comprehend. The fire in between the redhead's hands faded slowly to a red ember, before falling to the floor. Her mind suddenly flashed back to the illusion that she had been trapped in just a short while ago, where Gourry had been attacking her…_Is this another illusion? Are they all going to turn on me?_

Lina looked around at the barrier. _Is this barrier going to end up crushing the life out of me instead? _

_No, stop. _

_This isn't an illusion._

And then she realized with a start that Gourry wasn't in the barrier with them. _Where…?_

Before she could finish her thought, a blur ran past the blue wall that Filia still held up. Gourry ran forward, seeming to appear out of nowhere, knocking back Zel's sword with his own.

"Run Lina!" The blond called to her, over his shoulder. "Find Amelia. I won't hurt Zel, I promise…but you need to find Amelia."

"I can't leave the two of you!" Lina cried out. True, she had fought Zel many times before, but now…he wasn't the same person anymore.

"Go find Amelia, Lina!"

"No! You stupid moron, what makes you think I'll listen to what you say? I'm staying put, and that's final!" Lina looked at Filia. "Filia, you go and find Amelia."

Filia looked up at her barrier, but before the golden dragon could open her mouth to respond, Zelgadis charged at Gourry, faster than the blond had anticipated, and the chimera brought the sword down upon Gourry's blade with staggering force. Gourry's teeth clenched together, his arms shaking as he fought to bring his sword upwards. The sword grinded down upon his blade, jarring Gourry with the sheer impact of it. Before Gourry could recover, Zel had pulled away and charged again, and Gourry had barely enough time to block the blow.

Grunting, Gourry pulled away with effort, and using his skill and force, he nimbly swept forwards towards Zel, switching from defensive to offensive. Zel quickly parried Gourry's attack with a swift swing of his sword, moving backwards as Gourry brought his blade down upon the chimera's sword again and again.

Faster and stronger Gourry came at Zel, his arms dealing blow after blow to the chimera, who could do nothing more than block. His muscles tensed, the feel of the sword light and sure in his hands.

"Go and find Amelia!" He cried out to the redhead.

"I said no!"

"Lina…" Filia began, as she lowered her barrier.

"Filia, you go. I have to help fight Zelgadis. We'll…he needs to be knocked out. He's deranged, Filia. I can't leave him like this."

"Lina!" Impatience laced Gourry's voice. "Stop arguing and go! Amelia needs more help than Zel h—"

Suddenly, Zel rushed at Gourry, and Gourry yelped, swinging up his sword as he jumped backwards. But Gourry wasn't fast enough—Zel's sword bit through the blond swordsman's flesh. He sucked in a breath as his muscles tensed painfully in his right shoulder, blood pouring down into the pummel of his sword. Gourry had only been keeping half his attention on the chimera when he was yelling at Lina, and he silently cursed at having left himself open.

"Diem—"  
  
Gourry rolled to the side as Zel slashed down, and ran into Lina, knocking her to the floor and stopping her from casting her spell. His breath was ragged in her ears. "Lina, for once in your life, just listen to me. Go and find Amelia!" The redhead opened her mouth angrily to spit out a sharp reply, but he had already gotten back up, barely ready to parry and counter.

His right arm ached, so he switched the blade to his left hand, swinging it at the chimera to get the feel of it. Gourry feinted twice, and Zelgadis bought it, his sword swinging wildly to the side, just barely parrying in time to prevent the blond from making a touch. Gourry, against his better judgement, glanced over, to see Filia dragging away the redhead, who looked on angrily. Their eyes met in that brief instant, and the shadow of a smile flickered over his face, before he turned back to the chimera.

Lina hesitated, the anger draining away as she watched him. But Filia's tug on her arm returned the redhead to the dilemma at hand, and, taking one last look at her friends' duel, ran out of the room with the ex-priestess. "I'm sorry," she whispered, though to whom she was apologizing to—whether it was Gourry, Zelgadis, Amelia, Filia, or herself—she didn't know.

As their footsteps receded, the blond swordsman took a deep breath to steady himself. Gourry's feet danced on the marble floor as he lunged forward, the sweat beading on his forehead threatening to drop down into his eyes. Zelgadis lunged also, throwing the strength of his attack into his legs. As their blades clashed against each other, they pushed, fighting to throw each other balance off.

Then, suddenly, Zelgadis fell, moving forward on the floor as Gourry, who had bee taken completely by surprise, fell forwards over the chimera. The chimera's blade sliced into the blond swordsman's leg, and he cried out in pain, using his other foot to push off against the chimera's back. He slid along the floor, a trail of blood following. Turning around on the ground, he saw Zel lying of the floor in front of him, his eyes wide as his hands swirled in the blood that he had caused Gourry to shed.

"Pain…You'll die like the rest of them!! I'll show you what a monster is…"

Gourry pushed himself backwards until he felt his back hit a wall. He couldn't win against Zelgadis unless he really, truly wished to hurt him. And he didn't. Zelgadis was on the killing edge, and unless Gourry was also, there was no way to beat him. Gourry knew he was a better swordsman, but not against someone on the killing edge. _If only I could trick my mind into thinking that I want to hurt him…I could win. If I could get myself on the killing edge…_But he knew it was impossible. He could never even think of killing his friends.

Using his blade as a crutch, he picked himself off the ground. Zelgadis did the same, his eyes dancing. He put weight on his injured leg, and it held. _So he didn't cut me deep. Good._ He still had a chance.

In a flash of steel, the chimera thrust at Gourry. The blond swordsman, biting down on the pain in his shoulder and his leg, shot towards Zel as well, and he felt dizzying agony at the force of their weapons colliding and then sliding past each other. Gourry's heart began to pick up in pace once more, and adrenaline filled his veins, overcoming the pain in his shoulder and leg.

Then Gourry realized something. He could win. _He's on the killing edge, and he's crazed, which means he's just set to kill. He'll leave himself open…he'll make wild swings._ Zel jabbed his sword forward, and then swung the blade towards Gourry's injured leg, and they continued to exchange blow after blow, parrying and dodging.

They circled each other, like prey, clashing steel against steel, the ringing loud in their ears.

Gourry danced backwards, causing Zel to swing wide. _Perfect._ Gourry lunged forward, his legs and arms thrusting his sword quickly, jamming his steel blade against Zel's sword, which had just begun to swing back into a parry. The force sent Zel's blade flying as his shoulder was dislocated.

Zel cried out in pain, his eyes clearing for an instant. But then the hate filled them up once again, and popping his shoulder back into place, he snarled, running at Gourry. _Now,_ _I just need to find a way to knock him unconscious…_Gourry thought, dodging the chimera.

_I can win._

----------------------------------------------------------

She was running again, running through the endless stream of bodies and bones, wings resounding behind her like the drums of Hell. Everything around her was dark—even the air tasted black in her throat—a dry, vile taste that ached her raw throat. Bones jutted out of the ground like trees, grabbing, tearing, ripping and biting.

_Run! Faster!_

A laugh, sounding closer. And closer. Leathery wings in the air just behind her.

_Move, Amelia, move!!_

_Why can't I run faster? WHY?!_

Closer…

She could hear their breath. Smell their pungent smell. The bones were still lashing out at her.

_What am I doing here? God, snap out of it Amelia! SNAP OUT OF IT!_

_I...I can't let her do this to me…_

_I'm strong…I'm strong…_Her breathing was ragged; her feet were swollen and bleeding. _It's a trick, this isn't real. I'm strong. This isn't real. _

_This isn't real._

_It can't be…_

_…I'm…I'm home! This isn't real._

_Why am I so alone?_

"THIS ISN'T REAL!!"

Amelia's eyes snapped open with a gasp; one hand grasping her throat and the other clutching at her chest. Her eyes stared up at the ceiling wildly as she panted, trying to settle her nerves. _It wasn't real._ But she felt the stings from where the trees of bones had cut her. _Why am I bleeding? It wasn't real. It couldn't have been real. _There was a sharp intake of breath to her left. Her heart leapt out of her chest in fear, and she turned frantic eyes towards Riers.

"My, my, my…I'm quite surprised, Amelia dear. Just when I thought I finally entered your mind, too, you push me out." She laughed, a malicious sound that made Amelia cringe as she fought against the darkness that was trying to surround her.

"STOP IT!!" she cried out, swatting the never-ending stream of black away from her. Pushing the darkness away from her.

Pushing Death away from her.

Amelia couldn't even bring herself to cry anymore. She was beyond that point now. She'd cried so much that she was wasted now. She turned her head to look at the broken walls of her palace—her home.

Everything around me is dying. Breaking. Falling apart.

_I don't want to die. Please, L-sama…I don't want to die!_

Reirs was getting impatient. "That's enough playing around, Amelia. Let me into your goddamn mind!"

"I won't…let…you…"

Reirs' fists clenched, the darkness rising like a pillar of flames around her.

_Stop shaking._

"You'll die soon enough, Amelia dear. It's just a matter of time before you truly break."

_I want to do something more with my life._

"Stop striving to hold onto your life. We all die eventually. The sooner you die now, Amelia, the quicker you get to see that stupid wench that you call 'Mother'."

_I want to change someone in my life._

"You'll never be strong enough to defeat me! You never take chances in your life. You'll always be nothing!"

_I want to love someone._

"You're alone, dear Amelia. No one will save you."

_…Please…Don't let me die…_

"You can't even save yourself. You're alone, Amelia." Reirs smiled wickedly at her. "You can't do anything by yourself. Weakling."

_No…no, that isn't true._

_I'm strong. I know I am._

_My…my friends had faith in me in the past. _

Amelia stood up, her mind screaming out in pain. Her body ached, every muscle and cut stinging like white-hot knives.

"I'm not weak," Amelia gritted out of her teeth, healing herself slightly as she spoke, the magic flowing out of her hands and into her body.

"Heal yourself all you want, little one. Just because you can stand up doesn't mean you are strong."

Amelia backed away slowly, readying a barrage of spells to use against her.

_I can't win against her. She's too strong._

_No…I'm strong. I have to be strong. I…I have Justice on my side.  
  
_

_…I have to win…_

"I can win!" Amelia shouted at Reirs, her breath ragged. The crown princess was afraid, and her hands, which had finished healing and was forming another spell, couldn't stop shaking.

"You stupid girl! This is MY realm now!! You could never win!"

_Her realm? HER realm?_ Amelia couldn't believe it.

**_HER_**_ REALM?!_

_It was **Amelia's** home!_

And that's when she realized it. She couldn't hide anymore. Hoping for her friends to come wouldn't work. She had to stand up for herself. She had to stand up for her home—no more relying on others this time around. This was her home, where she grew up.

_I might be standing in the middle of the ruins of a great kingdom, but this is still a Holy City. **MY **Holy City. Even a ruin can be holy. Even a ruin was worth fighting for._

Amelia's heart pounded inside her chest. _Maybe… I can't…L-sama…someone….help me!_

But she knew deep down that this was her chance. If she was going to die, she would die fighting.

Not crying for help. Not begging for mercy.

_Maybe…._

_I don't know…_

_I can't…but…maybe…_

_…I'm alone…please…I need help…_

_But…_

_…Maybe…Maybe I can win…_

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A/N: Well, this chapter took a while as well (a good number of months). But, with graduation looming closer, I've been busy trying to keep my marks up and in good shape for university. I'm quite happy with the way this chapter turned out, especially the duel between Gourry and Zel. I've been lacking a bit in the action department, and so I'm really happy with this fight. Hopefully it wasn't boring. I also plan on rewriting one of my old chapters too add some more action into it, since, when rereading it, I was very disappointed with it. But fear not, it won't be a huge change, so it won't take up too much time. This fic is going to be finished in three chapters or so, maybe 4, so the end is coming. Thanks to everyone who stuck it out with me, and who've been patient. I'm hoping this chapter was worth it.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I'll be sure to dedicate a section to you guys once this fic is done.

—Vi


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